Clean and peel the carrot and celery. Peel the onions and garlic as well. Cut everything into large pieces. Slightly cut the tomatoes in a cross shape and briefly put them in hot water. Then you can peel off the shell, remove the stalk and the kernels and also cut into large pieces. Clean and quarter the mushrooms, then set aside.
Cut the meat into large cubes and season with salt and pepper.
Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and heat up. When it is very hot, sear the meat on all sides. Add the bacon and vegetables (except for the mushrooms) and fry properly. Add the tomato paste and fry so that the toasted aromas develop. Deglaze with 100 ml of red wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the flour and paprika and sweat. Then fill up with the rest of the red wine and the broth. Add the bay leaf and thyme and season with ground caraway seeds. Braise over low heat for approx. 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn it!
Tip: I personally mash the vegetables in the pot with a fork so that they combine nicely with the rest of the sauce. But this is not a must.
Remove the bay leaf shortly before the end of the cooking time. Now add the mushrooms, chocolate and cinnamon and cook. At the end, season again with the spices, depending on your taste.
Noodles, potatoes or whatever goes well with them go well with it.
Tips: If you like it a little hotter, you are welcome to add some chilli.
If the consistency is too thick, you can fill up again with broth and / or red wine and boil down again to the right consistency. Ultimately, the longer the meat stews, the more tender it becomes.
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