Braised beef with onion sauce from the beef brisket

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 2 ½ kg beef (boneless breast and fat)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 6 onions, cut into thick rings
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 250 g tomatoes, pureed
• ½ tsp thyme, dried
• ½ tsp paprika powder
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 6 carrots, cut into thick slices
• Parsley, fresh for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 50 minutes

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large roasting pan. Brown the meat all over, remove and place on a plate. Add the remaining oil to the roasting pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, after 30 seconds add the passata, and stir to loosen any juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, paprika, and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the roasting pan with the onion mixture, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Braise on the middle rack for 3 1/4 hours. The meat is cooked when it can be easily pierced with a fork. Baste with the sauce occasionally. Add the carrots 30 minutes before the end of cooking. When everything is cooked, remove the roasting pan from the oven and slice the meat. Reduce the sauce slightly. Transfer the meat and sauce to a platter, arrange the carrots around it, and garnish with parsley.