The day before cooking this dish, marinate the beef in the fridge with sliced onions, carrots, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and red wine. Turn or stir meat every 2 hours. Cover salt pork with water and bring to boil. Drain and dry.
Heat oil and butter in a deep heavy pan and add pearl onions. Shake the pan and cook until golden. Lift out and add mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes and lift out. Add salt pork and stir and cook until clear and light brown. lift out. Drain beef and dry with a cloth. Reserve the marinade.
Start browning the meat cubes, a few at a time in a saute pan with the garlic. Sprinkle each batch of meat with a little flour as it browns. When all cubes have been browned, remove from the pan and add the marinade and the beef broth. Bring to a boil stirring well. Let boil until reduced to half, then strain trough a fine sieve. Combine marinade, beef, onions, mushrooms, salt pork, bouquet garni, salt and pepper to taste, in a deep heavy saucepan and cover.
Simmer 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until tender. Drain and keep meat and vegetables warm. Discard bouquet garni. Boil sauce and add brandy.. Strain over meat mixture and serve.