Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon sounds "fancy" but it really is just a beef stew with red wine.  My favorite recipe for BB is the one in Ina Garten's cookbook, Barefoot in Paris.  It is easy to make and, unlike most BB recipes, it doesn't take all night to marinate meat or a long time to cook; in fact her BB only takes 2 to 3 of hours for prep and cooking time.  I am going to post the recipe as it is printed in Ina's cookbook, and I will include my notes at the end.  I have made this dish many times, and the recipe pages are well-worn and covered with my splishes and splashes of olive oil, beef stock and red wine. 

This stew just gets better and better the longer it sits...though you may find it so delicious that there are no leftovers!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Boeuf Bourguignon
1 TBSP olive oil
8 oz bacon, sliced
2 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb carrots, sliced diagonally into 1" chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Cognac or Brandy
1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine
2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 tsp thyme leaves
4 TBSP butter, at room temperature and divided
3 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 lb frozen small whole onions
1 lb mushrooms, cleaned with stems removed and thickly sliced

For serving:
Country bread, toasted or grilled
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven (must be ovenproof).  Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is lightly browned.  Remove bacon with slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry beef cubes with a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper.  Sear beef cubes, in small batches, in the hot oil/bacon fat, for 2-3 minutes turning to brown on all sides.  Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing meat until all of the beef cubes have been browned.

Toss the carrots, onions, 1 TBSP of kosher salt, and 2 tsp of ground pepper into the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the Cognac, STAND BACK, and ignite with a lighter to burn off the alcohol--be very careful with this step....when flame dies down most of the alcohol will have burned off.

Put the meat and bacon back into the pot along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.  Add the wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.  Add the tomato paste and thyme.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and place pot on top of the stove.

In a small bowl, combine 2 TBSP of the butter and the flour with a fork and stir the mixture into the stew.  Add the frozen onions.  In a separate pan, saute the mushrooms in the remaining 2 TBSP of butter over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned, then add mushrooms to stew.  Bring the stew to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rub each slice of bread on one side with garlic.  For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

** My Notes:

• Oven temperatures can vary; for my oven I actually have to increase the temperature to 325 degrees in order for stew to remaining simmering in the oven--adjust your oven temperature as needed.
• I use a LeCreuset dutch oven for dishes like BB; it is really worth the investment because the enameled cast iron heats evenly, browns beautifully and holds temperature well.
• Do not crowd the beef cubes when searing because they will just steam and not develop the brown crust needed for the best flavor--have patience with this step.
• I do not add Cognac to my stew and I skip this step.  Be vary careful using Cognac or Brandy around open flame as it is very flammable and can cause injury or damage if not used properly.
• Be very careful when moving your pot from the oven to stovetop because it will be HOT.
• If the sauce is a little thin for your liking, you can add more flour/butter mixture to thicken.
• The original recipe calls for serving over garlic bread, however, I prefer to serve BB over polenta, garlic mashed potatoes or pappardelle pasta.
• BB is a great dish for entertaining because it can "hold" for a long time or can be made in advance and refrigerated; just reheat to a simmer over low heat and serve.