Ingredients

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (1 ounce)
1 cup boiling water, plus 2 cups at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups strong red wine – Cote de rhone, or a provencal country wine
3/4 cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes. Rub the mushrooms together to loosen any grit, then remove them from the water and coarsely chop. Let the soaking liquid stand for 5 minutes to settle, then pour it into a clean bowl, leaving any grit behind. *If you’re worried, strain it through a coffee filter)
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Add one-third of the meat at a time, season with salt and brown well on all sides over moderate heat, about 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining meat.
3. Add the carrots and onions to the casserole and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
4. Discard any fat in the casserole. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook until it browns lightly, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the wine and the 2 cups of water, scraping up the browned pan juices. Return the meat to the casserole. Add the tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and the porcini and their soaking liquid. Bring to a boil.
5. Cover the casserole tightly and bake for 3 hours, or until the cubes of beef are very tender. Discard the bay leaves and the thyme sprig and skim the fat from the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

If you’re cooking in the crockpot, follow the instructions until #4 – and then just add everything to your crockpot.  Cook on high for 5=6 hours, or low for 8-10.

This dish is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, although it’s also good with noodles or rice.

Serve it with a salad, a loaf of French bread and you’ve got a delicious meal!  Don’t forget the wine – again you want a strong red to go with this dish – an earthy Côtes-du-Rhône is always a good bet.