Julia Child's Braised Beef in Beer - Aunt Cathy Style

Preheat oven to 325.

Ingredients

3 lb. lean beef - chuck roast or rump roast

Salt and pepper

3 to 5 pieces bacon

6 cups sliced onions

6 cloves garlic- smashed

1 cup Swanson unsalted Beef Stock

2 to 3 cups pilsner or dark ale

1 Tb brown sugar

1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 to 2 leafs of sage tied together

1 1/2 Tb cornstarch blended with 2 Tb wine vinegar 

Cut beef into large bite size cubes - meat will shrink during cooking - about 2x2x2

Dry meat on paper towel, 

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper

Fry bacon in heavy pan or skillet - remove bacon

Leave a layer of bacon fat in pan, retain the rest for later

Heat pan to almost smoking

Brown meat quickly in bacon fat, browning a few pieces at a time. Do not overcrowd meat. Add more bacon fat if needed.

Set browned meat to the side.

Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pan. Stir onions over medium to low heat for about ten minutes..

Move pan off heat, add smashed garlic, about a half t. of salt and a fourth t of pepper.

Layer about a third of the meat in an ovenproof casserole, top with one third onion/ garlic mixture. Repeat with 2 more layers of meat and onions.

Heat beef stock in the browning skillet scraping sides to get any meat and onions bits. 

Pour stock over meat and onion mixture.

place tied herbs in with meat.

Mix brown sugar with beer.

Add enough beer to almost cover meat. 

Place casserole on stove and heat until it comes to a simmer.

Then place in lower third of oven.

Bake for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours. Meat should be fork tender.

Remove tied herbs. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to simmer again for at least 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve with rice, or mashed potatoes.