Flunze's beef ragout with mushrooms and chocolate

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 large carrot(s)
• 1 piece(s) celeriac
• 2 small onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tomatoes
• 300 g mushrooms
• 600 g beef, e.g. shoulder
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
• 100 g bacon, streaky, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• e.g. salt and pepper
• n. B. Paprika powder, sweet
• e.g. caraway, ground
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 20 g flour
• 200 ml red wine
• 400 ml beef broth
• 1 piece(s) dark chocolate
• 1 pinch(s) cinnamon powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes

Braised dish with cinnamon

Clean and peel the carrot and celery. Peel the onions and garlic. Cut everything into large pieces. Make a small cross-shaped incision in the tomatoes and briefly place them in hot water. Then peel off the skin, remove the stems and seeds, and also chop them into large pieces. Clean and quarter the mushrooms, then set aside. Cut the meat into large cubes and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan and heat. When it’s very hot, sear the meat on all sides. Add the bacon and the vegetables (except the mushrooms) and sear thoroughly. Add the tomato paste and sear until toasted. Deglaze with 100 ml of red wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the flour and paprika and sauté. Then top up with the remaining red wine and the stock. Add the bay leaf and thyme and season with ground caraway. Simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn! Tip: I personally mash the vegetables with a fork in the pot so they combine nicely with the rest of the sauce. This is not necessary, however. Shortly before the end of the cooking time, remove the bay leaf. Now add the mushrooms, chocolate and cinnamon and cook until tender. At the end, adjust the spices to taste. This goes perfectly with pasta, potatoes or whatever you like. Tips: If you like it a little spicier, you can add a little more chili. If the consistency is too thick, you can top up with more stock and/or red wine and reduce again until the consistency is right. Ultimately, the longer the meat braises, the more tender it becomes.