1/4 cup olive oil
1.3kg beef chuck steak, cut into 5cm chunks
6 pickling onions, peeled, roots intact, halved
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
4 small red chillies, halved lengthways
Directions
Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Cook, in 2 batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl.
Add onions, garlic, carrot and celery to pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until starting to brown. Add thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add wine. Cook for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Return beef to pan. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, stock and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Stir in chilli. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Using tongs, remove beef from sauce reserving sauce to serve on tagliatelle (see related recipe). Roughly shred beef before serving.