Beef Carbonnade

Directions

1. 1
   Coarsely dice the bacon and saute it in a large skillet until crisp and brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. 2
   Add the onions to the skillet and cook them in the rendered bacon fat until tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover the skillet, raise the heat, and sprinkle the onions with the sugar. Toss and stir them until they are well browned. Transfer onions to a strainer set over a bowl and let stand while you prepare the beef.
3. 3
   Stir together on a plate the flour, thyme, salt and pepper, and roll the cubes of meat around in the mixture until well coated. Shake off the excess and set the cubes on another plate.
4. 4
   Add vegetable oil to the kettle for browning the beef. 1/2 tablespoon or less for each batch. Be sparing with the oil, or the carbonnade will be greasy. Set the kettle over high heat; when the kettle is very hot, add 6 to 8 beef cubes. Do not crowd them in the kettle or they will not brown properly. Turn the heat down slightly and continue to cook cubes until browned on all sides. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a clean plate and proceed with the browning until all the meat is done. After browning the first two batches, press the onions gently with the back of a spoon to extract as much of the cooking fat as possible. Transfer fat to a kettle, and brown the last of the beef. (If you use the fat with the sugar at the beginning the bits on the bottom will burn.)
5. 5
   Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. 6
   Pour the beer into the kettle and use a spoon to stir up all the browned bits on the bottom. Return beef cubes to the kettle along with the bacon and sauteed onions. Bring to a simmer on the stove. Cover and set on the middle rack of the oven.
7. 7
   Cook for 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until stew is reduced and thickened and meat is tender. Regulate the oven temperature as needed to maintain a moderate simmer.
8. 8
   During the last 20 minutes, cook the egg noodles.
9. 9
   Taste the stew and correct seasoning. Turn stew out into a heated serving dish, serve with buttered egg noodles, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.