Beef Carbonnade

Ingredients:
30g butter
2-3 Tbsp oil
1kg lean beef rump or chuck steak, cubed
4 onions chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp plain (all purpose flour)
500ml beer (bitter or stout)
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a Tbsp of oil. Brown the meat in batches over high heat then lift out onto a plate.
2. Add another Tbsp of oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook over moderate heat for 10 mins, then add the garlic & sugar & cook for another 5 minutes, adding more oil if necessary. Lift out the onion onto a second plate/bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to low and pour in any juices that have drained from the browned meat, then stir in the flour. Remove from the heat and stir in the beer, a little at a time (it tends to foam up). Return to the heat and let the mixture gently simmer and thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Layer the meat and onion in a casserole dish, tucking the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme between the layers and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Pour the liquid over the meat, cover and cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Serve with crusty french loaf.