Mahogany Beef with Red Wine and Hoisin

The most extraordinary flavor!! Gourmet Magazine was the source for this very different beef recipe. Personally, I leave out the carrots, and serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. You really need to use the onions—they are part of the flavor. You can use inexpensive domestic Cabernet Sauvignon--it is still outstanding!

Mahogany Beef with Red Wine and Hoisin

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds sirloin tips, sliced in 1/2” strips
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs -- (14.5 ounce) undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound slender carrots -- peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides of pot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.

NOTES : Hoisin adds complexity to the flavor of the sauce. You can save some time — and some tears — by chopping the onions in the processor in two batches.