Remove the bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat your oven to 160 centigrade.

Sauté the lardons in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Lightly dust with seasoned flour

Heat some fat in the casserole until almost smoking. Add the beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. remove and keep to one side with the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir in the wine and 2 to 3 cups of the stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover the casserole and set it in the lower third of the oven. Regulate the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet and set the onions aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining oil and butter over high heat.
As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove them from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off the sauce in the saucepan. Simmer the sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times

Now Julia would have served this on an amazing oval flat/platter with hand-turned boiled potatoes around the outside and a generous flourish of freshly chopped parsley.
Me?... It's creamy mash and a glass of that red wine!
Bon appetite