Beef bourguignon is a specialty from the region of Burgundy, France. It is a simple, yet polished beef stew that incorporates a lot of red wine, bacon, and onion to produce a luxurious and robust dish, perfect for a cold evening with lots of crusty bread for soaking up the juices.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
3 lbs beef stew, cut at about 1.5” to 2”, preferably from the beef blade (shoulder) muscle
2 tsp salt
750 ml red wine (Burgundian pinot noir or Beaujolais is traditional), divided
8 branches fresh thyme
2 leaves bay leaves, preferably fresh
4 branches fresh parsley
8 oz (240 gr) sliced bacon, cut into thin lardons (cross-cut strips)
1 large carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 onion, peeled and cut in half through the equator
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 cups beef stock
2 tbsp butter, divided
18 pearl onions, peeled
1 large (or 2 small) carrots, peeled and diced in uniform sizes (about 1 inch)
2 lbs button mushrooms, wiped clean and cut in half
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped finely
to taste salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the beef stew in a mixing bowl. Add the salt and enough red wine to marinate (it should be about a cup). Tie the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley branched together and nestle in the beef. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. In a large heavy pot over medium low heat, cook the bacon until it has released its fat and is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and reserve.
4. Drain the red wine from the beef and reserve with the herb bundle. Pat the beef dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Turn the heat under the pot up to medium high. Working in batches as to not overcrowd the pot, brown the beef in the hot rendered bacon fat, about a third of the beef per batch (depending on the size of the pot). As the beef is browned, remove it from the pot and reserve until all the beef is browned.
5. Once all the beef is browned, add the carrot halves and onion halves to the pot, and cook until golden, about five minutes. Add half of the minced garlic and lightly cook for a minute, then add in the tomato paste, stirring well and cooking for another minute. Deglaze the pot with the reserved wine and herb bundle from the marinade, then add the remaining wine. Reduce until the wine has evaporated by half.
6. Add the beef stock and the browned beef back to the pot and stir well. Lower the heat and bring to a simmer. Skim and discard any foam that floats to the surface of the stew. Cover the pot and place in the oven to braise for 1.5 hours, or until the beef is just tender.
7. Start to cook the garnish about 30 minutes before the beef is finished. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the pearl onions and carrots, and, stirring frequently, sauté until golden brown all over, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan and reserve. Melt a second tbsp of butter in the same pan over medium heat and add the mushroom and remaining minced garlic. Stir frequently until the mushrooms are golden and have released some of their liqueur, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve the mushrooms and their juices with the pearl onion and carrot.
8. When the beef is just tender, take out of the oven and place over a medium low heat, continuing to simmer. Remove the herb bundle, halved onion, and halved carrot and discard. In a small work bowl, mash the soft butter and flour together to make a paste. Ladle about a half cup of the braising liquid to the paste and whisk to emulsify. Pour the emulsification back into the pot and stir to incorporate. This will thicken the stew.
9. Add the reserved crisp bacon, pearl onions, carrots, and mushrooms (with the liqueur) back to the pot, stirring well to blend everything together. Add the chopped parsley, stir, and remove from the heat. Taste for seasoning and allow to cool slightly before serving.