Flemish Beef Stew in Red Wine

Best enjoyed with with Roodeberg Classic Red Blend

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
500g beef brisket, cut into large chunks
4 tablespoons of butter
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
500ml Roodeberg Classic Red Blend
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of mustard

Method
Heat a large casserole dish and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Sauté the onions over a medium heat until soft. Do not brown the onions. Add the meat and fry until golden brown.

Season the meat while searing with some ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. It is best to brown a large amount of meat in smaller batches at a time. When the frying pan is completely full of pieces of meat, it may lose too much moisture and “cook” instead of searing.

Add the wine. While the wine is brought to a boil, scrape the brown bits from the bottom to incorporate into the sauce.

Add a bay leaf, a sprig of fresh thyme, mustard and the maple syrup.

Let the stew simmer for 1½ - 3 hours on a low heat with the lid on the pot. The cooking time depends on the quality of the meat. Stir from time to time and check at regular intervals until the meat is cooked soft.

Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Adjust the seasoning to taste with some more ground pepper and a pinch of salt.