Beef Bourguignon

Considered by many to be the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon is a French dish made with beef, bacon lardons, carrots, onions and mushrooms slow-cooked in a rich red wine sauce. For the most magnificent stew of your life, start this 2 days before you plan to serve it, do not shortcut pan roasting ingredients individually, and use homemade beef stock if you can!

Beef chuck

Carrots

Pearl onions

Bay leaf

Thyme

25 oz Pinot or other red wine

Oil

S&P

6 oz mushrooms

8 oz bacon

3 tbs butter

Garlic

2 tbs tomato paste

6 tbs flour

3 c beef consomme

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp chopped parsley

Marinate beef: Place the Beef Marinade ingredients in a large, non-reactive ceramic dish or ziplock bag. Marinate overnight in the fridge (minimum 12 hours, maximum 24 hours).

  • Strain liquid into a bowl, reserve marinade. Separate the beef, carrots and onion.

  • Reduce wine: Pour red wine into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer vigorously, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until reduced by half. Set aside.

Brown beef and vegetables:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Dry beef: Line a tray with paper towels, spread beef out, then pat dry with paper towels.

  • Season beef: Sprinkle beef with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

  • Brown beef: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based, oven-proof pot over high heat. Add 1/3 beef and brown aggressively all over. Remove into bowl, then repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.

  • Fry bacon: Add bacon and cook for 3 minutes until golden. Add to bowl with beef.

  • Sauté mushrooms: Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove into a new bowl.

  • Sauté onion: Add a bit of extra oil if needed, then cook onions for 5 minutes or until there are nice golden patches. Add to bowl with mushrooms.

  • Sauté carrot: Add butter into pot. Once melted, add carrot and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until there are golden patches. Add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.

  • Tomato paste: Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

  • Flour: Add flour and cook for 2 minutes.

  • Add wine and stock: While stirring, slowly pour in beef stock – this helps the flour dissolve lump-free into the stock. Then add wine and mix until flour mixture is dissolved and mostly lump-free (Note 6).

  • Add beef into pot: Add beef, bacon, thyme, bay leaf, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper into the pot, then stir well.

    Slow-cook:

    • Oven 1 hour: Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven for 1 hour.

    • Mushrooms and onion: Remove from oven, stir in mushrooms and onion.

    • Oven 1½ hours: Cover with lid and return to oven for 1½ hours, or until beef is "fall-apart tender".

    • Adjust salt: Remove from oven, taste sauce and add salt if needed.

    • Leave overnight (recommended): If time permits, leave the stew overnight before serving because as with all stews, it gets better with time! Reheat gently on a low stove.

    • Serve over mashed potatoes – essential for mopping up every drop of that amazing sauce!