Tasty Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Looking for something celebratory? This is our take on the iconic French dish, Boeuf Bourguignon, popularized in America by Julia Child. Less of a stew and more of an event, traditional beef bourguignon is beef stewed with aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices which are then strained off, lowered and finished with a butter-flour mix to create a largely seasoned, dark and smooth sauce. Yes the sauce is a bit fussy, however genuinely it deserves it. We made this for the household the other day and not a drop was left.

We've consisted of dried porcini mushrooms in this meal. They're called cepes in France, and are regularly used in French stews. Dried porcini are readily available in numerous grocery stores, but do not fret if you can't discover them. For this they're optional and you'll still have an amazing meal without them.

Finally, the important things that usually stops me from making beef bourguignon is the pearl onions. Yes, blanching and peeling them is just a great deal of work. Nevertheless, salvation might be at hand. According to my sources you can get frozen pearl onions currently blanched and peeled. Obviously Trader Joe's carries them. If you cannot discover them, the following instructions include actions for preparing the onions.

Beef Bourguignon Recipe

We are using shiitake mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms in this recipe, even though they are not traditionally used for this dish, due to the fact that they are so meaty and great. Do not hesitate to use any fresh mushroom you 'd like. If you do not have access to salt pork, you can utilize bacon, however simmer it first for 8 minutes in water, then drain and rinse, to eliminate its smokiness. A word on salt.

Salt pork is salted. Be sparing with salt as you make this meal until the end, when you can adjust. Industrial beef stock is also salty, so you very well might have enough salt for the dish simply from these 2 sources.

Ingredients

• 6-8 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 Tbsp saltless butter, divided
• 4 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels
• Salt
• 10-12 shallots, sliced, about 2 cups
• 2 large, peeled carrots, 1 sliced, 1 cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms (optional).
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste.
• 1/2 cup brandy, plus 2 Tbsp.
• 1 bottle Pinot Noir, or other red wine.
• Beef Stock (low sodium), at least 1 cup, quite quickly more.
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh parsley.
• 2 bay leaves.
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme.
• 4 whole cloves.
• 24 pearl onions, fresh or frozen.
• 1 lb fresh shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms.
• Beurre manie: 3 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp butter.

Method

If you are utilizing them, put 1 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and permit them to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Pour the soaking water through a paper towel (to eliminate any dirt or particles) into a bowl and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, pour enough water to cover the bottom by about 1/8 inch. Over medium heat, prepare the salt pork in the pan until the water vaporizes, stirring sometimes. When the water is gone, minimize the heat to medium-low, and continue to prepare the salt pork until much of the fat has actually rendered out of it. Add a tablespoon of butter and continue to prepare the salt pork unti the pieces are browned and crispy. Utilize a slotted spoon to eliminate the salt pork pieces to a big Dutch oven or other big, thick-bottomed, lidded pot.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan, brown the beef. Leaving area around each piece of sizzling meat makes sure that it browns and does not steam. Do not move the pieces of beef in the pan until they get a great sear, then turn them so they can get browned on another side. Take your time. This will take 15-25 minutes, depending upon how large a sauté pan you have. As soon as browned, remove the beef from the sauté pan and place in the Dutch oven with the salt pork.

When all the beef has browned, add the shallots, the one sliced carrot, and the sliced porcini mushrooms if using. Stir in the pot to remove any browned, stuck-on bits in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then include the garlic and the tomato paste. Prepare another 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the brandy and stir to combine. Boil down by half, then add the stretched mushroom soaking water (if using). Scrape any staying browned bits off the bottom of the sauté pan and put the contents of the pan into the Dutch oven.

To the Dutch oven add the bottle of wine and sufficient beef stock to practically cover the beef; the beef pieces should be barely poking up from the liquid. Include the parsley, bay leaves, thyme and cloves. Cover and bring to a bare simmer. After 1 hour, include the second carrot, peeled and cut into portions of 1-2 inches. Continue cooking for another hour, or up until the beef is tender.

Meanwhile, cut the tough stems off the shiitake, cremini, or button mushrooms and slice into 2-3 large pieces; little mushrooms leave entire. Prepare the pearl onions. Boil them in their skins for 4-5 minutes. Drain and submerge in a bowl of ice water. Slice the suggestions and root ends off the onions and slip off the outer skins.

When the beef is tender, usage tongs to eliminate all the beef and the portions of carrots; set aside in a bowl. Strain the contents of the Dutch oven through a fine-meshed screen set over a medium pot. This will be the sauce. Boil the sauce down, tasting often. If it starts to taste too salty, turn off the heat. Otherwise, boil down until you have about 3 cups. Switch off the heat.

Heat a big sauté pan over high heat and add the mushrooms. Dry sauté the mushrooms over high heat, shaking the pan and stirring often, up until they launch their water, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pearl onions and 3 tablespoons butter and toss to integrate. Sprinkle salt over the onions and mushrooms. Sauté till the onions start to brown. Eliminate from heat.

Returning to the sauce, decrease the heat to medium and blend in the beurre manie. Blend in a third of the paste, wait for it to incorporate into the sauce, then add another 3rd of the beurre manie, and so on. Do not let this boil, but enable it to simmer really carefully for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of brandy. Taste for salt and add some if needed.

To serve, coat the beef, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions with the sauce and serve with potatoes, egg noodles or great deals of crusty bread.

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