BRITISH BEEF AND BEAN CASSEROLE Recipe 19th Century

This is a very high protein dish and great served with baked or mashed potatoes or cooked noodles.

Serves 4-6 persons

1 1/2 cups cooked dried beans dried beans ( I like pinto or kidney beans), picked over and soaked overnight in cold water and 1/4 tsp  baking soda..allows the skins of beans to soften  when cooking.
1 1/2 pounds chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes, dusted in seasoned all purpose flour( added salt, ground black pepper and paprika)
1/4  pound bacon chopped
2 cups carrots cut into 1 inch cubes or 1/2 inch slices
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes in their juice
4 cloves garlic smashed and minced
2 cups onions thinly sliced or minced
1 cup celery minced
2 tbsp oil
Bouquet Garni  (sachet of bay laurel, thyme, sage  and parsley, or these herbs dried and 1 tsp of each  + 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley)
1 cup red wine/apple juice
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp ground paprika
2-4 cups stock

1/2 cup minced parsley to garnish

Method:
In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan..heat the oil and add the bacon and saute until all fat is rendered, then add the meat in batches, and saute to brown on all sides.
Remove until all meat is browned.
de glaze the pan with the wine then add the browned meat, onions, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 4 mins.
Add the herbs, parsley and tomatoes and season with 1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp ground paprika and cover the meat and vegetables with hot stock.
Bring to boil then reduce to medium simmer, cover with tight  fitting lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours.  
Check for seasoning and tenderness of the meat and add the cooked beans and another cup of hot stock and continue to cook lidded for 30 mins.or until the meat is tender, adding more stock if necessary.
Remove the herbs if fresh and add more chopped parsley.
Check seasoning and sere hot with mashed potatoes & etc.

Variations:
add any seasonal vegetables half way through the medium simmer.
In place of wine/apple juice use bottled beer...open 2 hours before and pour into a glass to help rid the beer of bubbles, also add 1 tbsp sugar to this  recipe for a deep flavor.
Sliced or 1/4'd mushrooms work well in this stew too.
Another layer of flavor is to add the peel of an orange ( a whole piece.. peel the orange the day before and allow it to dry out a little, add to the casserole as you being the medium simmer and remove at the end just before serving), this is a wonderful recipe and makes a great  dinner.