Beef And Wild Mushroom Ragout - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 lbs beef round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 lb cremini mushroom, sliced
1 (2 ounce) envelope knorr tomato beef soup mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope lipton beefy onion soup mix
1 cup red wine (Merlot, Cabernet, or Chianti)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Preparation

Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven; dry the beef with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the beef to the pan; brown on all sides.
Stir in the onions; cook/stir until they are softened, 3-4 minutes.
Add in the mushrooms; cook another 3 minutes, stirring often.
Add in soup mixes; stir to blend.
Add in the wine, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan; cook 2-3 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes, water, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil.
Decrease heat to low and simmer the stew, covered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, 2-3 hours.
Taste the sauce, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
Remove bay leaf before serving.