Beef Bourguignon.

A good sized piece of topside beef was going for half price so i made the most of it by making chilli and this recipe.
Cut your beef into slices, reserving any fat and add a little oil. Season and massage the salt and pepper into the meat.
Place into a ceramic bowl with a sliced onion, thyme, bay and parsley and cover with a glass of red wine.
Cover and leave to marinade overnight.
Remove from the fridge and strain the marinade from the beef, cover and allow the meat to come to room temperature.
Discard the herbs and onion and reserve the wine.
Chop a rasher of two of streaky bacon and the reserved fat from the beef.
Add the chopped beef fat to a saucepan with a little oil and heat until it releases its fat. Remove the pieces of fat and discard.
Add the chopped bacon and cook for a few minutes then add peeled shallots.
Colour the shallots and remove them along with the bacon, reserve.
Add the strip of beef and colour.
Sprinkle the meat with a table spoon of plain flour and mix in.
Add a little of the wine at a time stirring in to avoid making the flour lumpy.
Bubble for for 30 seconds or so and then add some beef or veg stock, a whole clove or two of garlic and a bouquet garni of bay, thyme and parsley.
Bring to barley a simmer, cover and cook long and slow for at least an hour.
In a separate pan soften some button or sliced mushrooms in butter.
Add to the beef and wine along with the reserved shallots and bacon.
Simmer until the mushrooms are cooked through.
Serve.