This beef number is a pearler and you'll get more kudos than Angelina Jolie at a UN convention.
The onions will break down and combine with the beer to create a rich and tasty natural gravy.
Ingredients
900g boneless chuck beef cut into 6 to 8 slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
1½ tablespoons flour
2 cups dark beer
¼ cup tomato paste
2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste or granules)
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or one teaspoon dried)
1 whole bay leaf, broken in half
Method
Sprinkle both sides of the beef slices generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oven on high, add butter and olive oil and brown the meat quickly on both sides. Remove beef and set aside.
Throw in sliced onions into a pot, lower heat, cover with a lid and sweat onions until soft and lightly browned, stirring often. Sprinkle flour over the onions, stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly browned.
Add beer, tomato paste, and beef bouillon to onion and flour mix, stirring until thickened. Stir in thyme and bay leaf.
Return beef to the pot, along with any juices, and cover pot. Cook over low heat for about 2½ hours, turning beef occasionally, until beef is tender. Ensure the beef is covered in liquid, adding more beer or water if necessary.
Take the lid off the pot during the last hour of cooking to thicken the gravy, if needed. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems.
Serve with buttered noodles or rice.
Serves 6 to 8 people.
VIDEO: Or try this Julie Goodwin classic - a delicious beef in red wine pie to warm the heart:
