Preparation time: 30 min. Total time: 6h30
Ingredients (for 5 to 6 people) :
- 1 kg collar or chuck or cheek (I recommend the latter)
- 10 large carrots
- 1 large onion
- 200 g mushrooms
- 250 g smoked bacon
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 square of dark chocolate (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 140-150°C.
Mince the onion and cut the meat into 3-4 cm cubes. Brown over medium heat in a cast-iron casserole, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut into 3 to 4 cm lengths. Place in the casserole. Leave to cook for a few minutes.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the flour. Without stirring, place in the oven for 5 minutes to roast the flour and break up the starch chains. Remove from oven, stir and cover with ⅔ of the wine and the remaining water. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cover and place in the oven for 5 to 6 h of gentle cooking at 140°C maximum 150°C: the lower, the softer, but the longer.
Stir every hour. If there's no more liquid, add more wine.
Two hours before the end of the cooking time, chop the mushrooms and the breast. Lightly brown them. Add to the casserole. Finish cooking.
Before serving, you can remove the meat and carrots and bind the sauce with a square of dark chocolate to obtain a mirror sauce. This is not obligatory.
Serve hot with pasta.
Tips:
The more slowly cooked the better. And I've made lots of them to be sure :)
For a non-alcoholic version, you can add just water, to get a “beef carrot”.