1 ½ kg diced Emerald Hill beef
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
4-5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
12 small pickling onions, peeled
200g button mushrooms, stalks trimmed
250g bacon, rind removed, cut into short strips
1 cup water
Place the beef in a large bowl, add the herbs and wine. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drain the beef, putting aside the marinade and herbs. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in 3 batches. Remove each batch and place in a casserole dish. Pour over the reserved marinade and herbs. Add the stock and flour. Stir to mix.
Cover the casserole dish, place in oven. Stir every 40 minutes, add water if needed to keep the ingredients just covered. Cook until the beef is almost tender (about 80 minutes).
Heat the oil and butter in a small frying pan, add the onions and cook, stirring for 10 minutes or until lightly golden (but not soft), remove and set aside. Cook the mushrooms in 2 batches, adding a little more butter if needed, remove and set aside. Add the bacon to the pan, cook until crispy. Add the onions, mushrooms, bacon and water to the beef, stir gently to combine. Cook for a further 20-30 minutes or until the beef is tender.