Creole Daube - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 -5 lbs rump roast or 4 -5 lbs top sirloin steaks
olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 large crushed garlic cloves
2 (15 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
thyme
1 bay leaf
oregano
cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper
brown sugar
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 lb diced mushroom (optional)

Preparation

Cut the roast in half and in a large skillet; brown each half on all sides in the olive oil. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet with the oil, saute onion, bell pepper and celery for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste and stir for a couple of minutes to fry. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
While this mixture slowly simmers, add to taste the thyme, bay leaf, oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper and sugar.
Add wine and Parmesan. Let simmer about 45 minutes.
Add carrots, mushrooms, and both pieces of roast and any juices that have accumulated. Cover and cook over low heat for a 2 to 3 hours.
Remove beef and slice against grain into half-inch slices. Serve with the tomato gravy on top or place the slices back into the gravy and cook on low another 15 to 20 minutes for a more traditional meal.
Serve roast and gravy over mashed potatoes or spaghetti (as suggested in the recipe) and top with additional parmesan cheese.