Beef Bourguignon

By á-471

This delicious braise produces a succulent meat that will melt, unbelievably, in your mouth. Use a stewing meat such as chuck or brisket. This dish can be prepared a day ahead. It also freezes well. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• STEW:
• 1.25 kg stewing meat, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz sliced double smoked bacon, diced
• 8 oz small cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 head garlic, dry papery layers brushed off
• and top third of bulb removed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 stalks thyme
• 4 sprigs parsley
• BEURRE MANIE:
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) softened butter
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) flour

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 63mins
Adapted from lcbo.com

Preparation

Step 1

STEW:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Season meat with salt and pepper.

3. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until slightly crisp. Remove from pan and reserve.

4. Add onions, sauté for 5 minutes, add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes longer or until mushrooms are browned and juicy and onions are softened. Remove onions and mushrooms and reserve. Wipe out pot.

5. Add another 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil to pot and, working in batches, add meat to pot in a single layer without crowding the pot, adding more oil as needed. Sear meat on each side until browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove and place in a strainer over a bowl to let the fat drip out.

6. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil to pan. Add carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add wine, scraping up any brown bits from the base of the pan. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, then add stock, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs. Return to boil and skim off any foam that rises to top. Stir in meat.

7. Cover and bake for 2 to 2½ hours or until meat is very tender. Uncover, remove garlic, thyme, bay leaf and parsley sprigs. Add reserved bacon and mushrooms, return pot to oven and bake another 15 minutes or until meat is very tender and sauce is rich.

BEURRE MANIE:

1. To make beurre manie, combine butter and flour to make a paste.

2. If sauce is not thick enough, strain into a separate pot and add the beurre manie a bit at a time until it is thickened to your satisfaction. This should not be a very thick sauce. Season to taste and return to pot.