Ingredients

1 tablespoon duck or goose fat or oil of your choice
8 ounce (1/2 cup) smoked lardons, cubed pancetta, or 16 slices smoked bacon, snipped
4 ounce onions, chopped
2 teaspoon dried allspice
2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 1/4 pound boneless beef shank, in approx. 2 inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cup beef broth (canned, carton or cube is fine), preferably organic
4 teaspoon grain mustard
3 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 cup dark belgian ale, or english dark ale
4 cup bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt

Preparation

Baking Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Get out a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and, on the stove over a medium to high heat, melt 1 tablespoon fat, or warm 1 tablespoon oil.

Add the lardons or bacon pieces and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, till they've crisped up a bit.

Add the chopped onion, stirring well so that they're mixed into the bits of bacon, and turn down the heat to low and cook — stirring every now and again — for 10 minutes, by which time the onions will have softened.

Stir in the allspice and thyme and then tumble in the cubed beef shank and, for ease, with a pair of spatulas or suchlike, toss and turn the meat in the pan.

Shake in the flour and stir to mix as best you can.

Pour the broth into a large pitcher and stir in the mustard and sugar and then add the ale (if it will fit) before pouring this over the stew in the pan.

Stir to mix, then let come to a boil, add the bay leaves and salt and a good grinding of pepper, then clamp on the lid and stagger to the oven with the heavy pan.

Cook gently for 3 hours until the meat is fork tender, and — if you can bear it — let cool, uncovered, before covering and refrigerating, then leaving it to bring joy to another day.

Still, it's fabulous enough the day it's cooked and patience is an overrated virtue.

Make ahead noteThe stew can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Transfer to non-metallic bowl to cool.

Cover and refrigerate as soon as possible.

To reheat, put stew back in Dutch oven and reheat very gently on stove, until piping hot; or reheat in oven at 300°F for 1 hour, until piping hot.

Freeze noteThe cooked stew can be frozen, in airtight container, for up to 3 months (and you can freeze in smaller portions for weekday suppers).

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.