3 lbs. lean beef stew meat
1/2 c. butter
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 lbs. sm. onions, peeled
1/3 c. red table wine
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 sm. cinnamon stick
1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
2 tbsp. currants or raisins

Season meat with salt and pepper. Melt butter in Dutch oven or heavy kettle with cover. Add meat and coat with butter. Do not brown. Arrange onions over meat. Mix next 5 ingredients and pour over meat and onions. Add remaining ingredients. Cover onions with plate (to hold them in tact). Cover kettle and simmer 3 hours, or until meat is very tender (do not stir).

When serving, stir sauce gently to blend. Accompany with sesame bread and a red wine that can hold its own. Bread should be heavily seeded, either Greek bread with sesame coated crust or another good white bread spread with soft butter and many sesame seeds and baked or broiled so seeds toast. Makes 8 servings.