Treasured Family Recipe

I am practically vegetarian so it may come as a surprise that the one meal I really miss is filled with only 5 ingredients and 2 are meat.  But the ratio is heavenly and I just love Ragout.  So here is what I know about this family recipe:  My paternal grandmother, Helen Ann McMahon would make this recipe.  She died months before I was born and so I never got to have her dish.  But thankfully my mom learned to make it and it was often the choice for a special birthday meal in my family.  I cannot recall the last time I had it but I requested if she could teach me while out here visiting.  So here are the details:

In a frying pan, brown one pound of bacon until crisp- in my opinion, the best you can find.  We got ours at Your Butcher Frank in Longmont, CO.  Then add 2 cups of finely chopped onion to the bacon and caramelize.
The rest of the recipe is best made in a cast iron stove.  We used our 14" Dutch Oven that we use for camping.  This was a bit of an overkill but worked better than a typical pot would have.  Transfer bacon and onion to the cast iron stove, along with the bacon fat because this provide all the seasoning a flavor you will need.  Add two and a half pounds of cubed London Broil and brown that.

After the beef is browned, add approximately two cups of carrots and two cups of potatoes.

 Stir frequently over medium heat.  After about two hours of slow cooking it will all be somewhat mushed together.  Add liquid (we just did water) if it starts to stick before everything is soft.

Usually we serve it with homemade coleslaw and bread.  I also like to have a nice glass of red wine with it.  It is hard to believe such a flavorful dish is made with only 5 ingredients and all the seasoning comes from the bacon and the caramelizing of the onions.  So there you have it- Helen McMahon's Ragout.