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L'etoile's Braised Cremini Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 lb Top round
6 Carrot
2 Leek
2 lg Onion
2 Shallot
6 Garlic clove
1 Celery rib; sliced
12 sl Bacon
1 Bay leaf, Turkish
5 Parsley sprig
1 1/2 ts Peppercorns
1 1/2 T Thyme, dried
1 ts Salt
2 Cloves, whole
1 1/4 l Bordeaux red; decent
1/3 c Wine vinegar, red
1/4 c Cognac

Cut beef into 8 oz chunks. This is important; smaller chunks will
fall apart during the long cooking. Cut carrots in 1" chunks. Use
only the white of the leek; halve each and wash well, then cut into
1" chunks. Slice onions thinly. Chop shallots; peel and mash garlic
cloves. Slice celery thinly. Cut bacon rashers (slab bacon only,
please) in 1" slices. DO NOT use California bay leaf in this recipe;
the California bay leaf has a very strong, harsh taste which will
ruin the entire dish. Look for an imported (Turkish) bay leaf. For
the wine, use something considerably better than Gallo jug; the
instructor used a couple of $10 French Bordeaux.

Combine all ingredients in a heavy casserole (8 to 10 quarts);
marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Slowly bring the
casserole to a simmer while you make a luting (sealing) paste of
flour and water. When ready, put a thick strip of dough around the
lid where it meets the pot and clamp on well; then take the remaining
luting paste and seal well around the outside. The pot should be
completely sealed; no steam (or only the occasional wisp) should
escape. Simmer the stew at 100 F to 150 F for 8 to 10 hours in the
oven; the lower temperature and longer cooking is more desirable.
Break open the crust and serve over potato pur?e.
--- Ann Clark
La Bonne Cuisine School
Austin, TX