Beef Bourguinon
Recipe type: dinner
Cuisine: French
 
This is basically beef stew but with the added flair of braising in wine and adding cognac. We combined Julia Child's iconic French recipe with Ina Garten's easy prep and added our own twists to make this a perfect dinner party dish as well as a cozy, re-heatable treat for any new parents.
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces pancetta (or bacon), diced
  • 2½ pounds beef chuck or sirloin, fat trimmed, cut into even 1-inch cubes (it's important to have the pieces be the same size so they cook evenly; your butcher can do this for you)
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 6 carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup Cognac or brandy
  • 1 bottle red wine (I use Burgundy or Shiraz, but Merlot or any will work fine as long as it's not sweet)
  • 1-2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I keep a tube in my refrigerator for just this purpose - no sense opening a whole can!)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 1 pound frozen pearl onions
  • 1 - 2 pounds mushrooms, stems removed, thickly sliced
  • Parsley for sprinkling at the end, about 1 tablespoon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250F.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  3. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook for about 9 minutes, until lightly browned.
  4. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  5. Pat the beef cubes with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Without crowding the meat (cook in batches in a single layer), sear the meet in the oil for about 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
  7. Remove the beef and set aside with the pancetta.
  8. Toss the carrots, sliced yellow onions, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper into the pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring until the onions are lightly browned.
  9. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
  10. Add the Cognac or brandy and being very careful, ignite and stand back as the alcohol burns off.
  11. Put the meat and pancetta back into the pot with any accumulated juices.
  12. Add the wine, plus enough broth to almost cover the meat.
  13. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven for 1¼ hours.
  14. Remove and place on top of the stove.
  15. Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons flour with a fork and stir into the stew (If the sauce is too thin when you're finished, you can add more of this butter/flour mixture and whisk it in.)
  16. Add the frozen pearl onions and stir to combine.
  17. In a medium fry pan, saute the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned, and then add to the stew.
  18. Bring the stew to a boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  19. Sprinkle chopped parsley before serving.
  20. Serve over orzo or other pasta, mashed potatoes, or thickly sliced garlic bread
Recipe by Food and Friendship at https://www.foodandfriendshipsantabarbara.com/2018/03/05/mamma-needs-food/