Ingredients for 6 servings:
1. 1/2 lb oyster mushrooms or 1/2 lb your favourite mushroom
2. 1 tablespoon butter
3. 3 tablespoons olive oil
4. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 to 11/2-inch (2.5 to 4 cm)
7. 1 cup brewed coffee (your favorite)
8. 3/4 cup water
9. 2 garlic cloves, minced
10. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
11. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
12. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
13. 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp/5 mL dried)
14. 2 bay leaves
15. 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
16. 2 -3 cups baby carrots
17. 2 -3 cups peeled white pearl onions
18. fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Clean shiitake and remove stems, if using other mushrooms simply clean.
2. Leave whole or if mushrooms are large, thickly slice.
3. In a large wide saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter and 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil over medium-high.
4. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and turn into a bowl.
6. In a large bowl, stir flour with salt.
7. Add beef and lightly coat in flour.
8. In the pan that mushrooms were cooked in, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the meat until browned all over, then remove to a bowl.
9. Repeat with remaining meat adding a little more oil.
10. Stir in coffee, water, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar,Worcestershire, herbs and meat in bowl to the saucepan.
11. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low, mixture should be gently simmering.
12. Stir occasionally for 1 1/2 hours, meat should nearly be tender.
13. Stir in carrots and onions.
14. Continue to cook, simmering gently and stirring occasionally until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes.
15. If you would like sauce a little thicker, uncover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
16. Stir in mushrooms.
17. Add pepper to taste.
18. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles, sprinkled with parsley or fresh thyme.
19. PEELING PEARL ONIONS:
20. Drop unpeeled onions in boiling water for a minute or so.
21. Plunge into cold water.
22. Cut base of onions and squeeze.
23. Onions will pop out of skin.