Ingredients
¼ pound thick bacon, blanched in water and cut into half-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Cognac
2 cups beef bone broth
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into quarter-inch slices
½ pound white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
¼ cup red wine
Directions
Place bacon in a Dutch oven or a large heavy kettle over low heat and cook until fat is rendered. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon. Increase heat, add onion, and cook until it is softened and just lightly browned, for about 10-15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a large bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of TAO Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the pan. Dust the beef cubes with flour, and season them with salt and pepper. Shake off any excess flour and cook them over medium-high heat until they are well browned on all sides. Then, transfer them to a bowl with onions. You will likely want to do this in batches so that the beef cubes are not overcrowded. If there is a lot of fat remaining in the pan, pour off most of it, but leave some.
Add Cognac to the pan and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and scraping to get all the tasty bits from the bottom. Add stock, Walnut Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of the seed style mustard. Whisk to blend, then return the meat and onions to the pan. Lower the heat, cover the pan partially, and simmer gently until the meat is tender, which takes about 1 1/2 hours.
Add carrots and continue simmering for 30 minutes. While they are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of TAO Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté mushrooms until they are browned.
Optional: You may want to return the browned bacon pieces to the pot. Or not.
Stir mushrooms into the stew along with the remaining seed style mustard and red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.