Braised Beef with Dumplings

Marinate the lard for half an hour with a little salt and pepper, the brandy, wine, and a pinch of spices. With a larding-needle, lard the meat at the last moment with the fillets of lard sprinkled with chopped parsley. In a thick-bottomed casserole, heat the oil and put in the piece of beef, dried thoroughly on a cloth, because the moisture would stop it browning well. When it is well-browned all over, drain it and transfer to a plate. Add the flour to the same oil, a little at a time, stirring carefully, to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the casserole. As soon as it turns a reddish color, dilute it with the wine, the brandy from the marinade, and the stock. Mix, bring to the boil, and put the piece of beef back in with the bunch of aromatic herbs and season generously with pepper but little salt. When it comes back to the boil, cover with buttered paper and the lid and then continue cooking in the oven, at a regular simmer, for at least three hours. When the cooking is finished, drain the meat, finely sieve the sauce and put the meat and the sauce back into the same casserole, well-cleaned. Finish off the cooking at moderate heat for another hour at least. When cooked to perfection, the sauce should be reduced by a good half. Slice the meat, drizzle with abundant sauce and serve with dumplings.