Ingredients
2 tablespoons beef drippings or butter, more as needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds sirloin tip, cut into fat fingers
3 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-1/2 cup beef stock
2 cups beer
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme spring, a few parsley stems)
Directions
1.Melt the butter and oil together in a sauté pan and, working in batches, brown the beef strips on all sides. Remove. In the same pan, fry the onions until soft, about 15 minutes, then add the garlic one minute. Remove. (Check if there is fat in the pan. If not, add a good tablespoon of butter and let it melt.)
2.Add the flour and sugar to the pan and cook 1 minute to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the stock and bring to a boil. (At this point, turn the oven on to 325°F/160°C.) Add the beer and the vinegar to the boiling stock, and bring back to the boil, cooking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove.
3.In a large casserole, layer the onion mixture alternately with the beef strips, seasoning each layer as you go with salt and pepper. Tuck in the bouquet garni and pour the liquid over. Cover and bake for 2-1/2 hours. If you can wait a day before eating, cool the dish completely when it’s out of the oven, and refrigerate overnight: the flavour will be even better when you reheat it.
