Servings: 2 large plates or 4 small

Mild olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced or chopped

100 g mushroom, sliced

400 g beef meat, in chunks

100 g bacon lardons

200 ml red wine

1 beef stock cube

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp strong mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

A few pinches of mace or nutmeg

1 tsp of dried chopped chives

Water

2 tsp of flour

Heat some olive oil in the pan and fry thr mushroom until golden brown. Sautée the onion in oil separately, and do the same with the lardons. Over high heat now seal the beef chunks until a golden brown surface. Add the mushroom, lardons and the onion to the beef and pour the red wine over. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the stock cube, the spices and the salt, and cover with water before leaving it to cook for 30 minutes. Mix the flour with a little water in a cup a until a smooth paste before you stir it into to the stew. Cook for another 30 minutes, or longer, depending on which type of beef meat you are using. I used a very tender piece and it was done in about 30 minutes. But beware, if you cook a tender meat too long, it can get crumbly. Use a cheaper meat part for a 2-3 hour long cooking.

Serve with mashed potatoes and spinach wilted with a bit of butter and mace and salt. Or, do as I have done here, serve with a crusty homebaked bread roll.