Beef Bourguignon

Ah, beef bourguignon—it's like the French decided to take a bottle of Burgundy and say, "Let's make this even better by adding beef!" This classic dish is a culinary symphony, where each ingredient plays its part like a well-tuned orchestra. Tender chunks of beef, in a luxurious bath of red wine and savory beef stock. The aromatic carrots, onions, and garlic join in, bringing their own flair, while crispy bacon adds a cheeky crunch. As if that wasn't enough, pearl onions and earthy mushrooms make a surprise appearance, adding wonderful textures that keep your taste buds guessing. Serve it with boiled or mashed potatoes, and you've got yourself a meal that not only celebrates French cuisine but also makes you wonder why the French don't just rule the culinary world, or do they!

Ingredients

1/2lb (226g) Thick Cut Bacon or Pancetta- cut into 1" pieces

3lbs(1360g) Beef Chuck - trimmed of fat and cut into 2 - 2 1/2" cubes

1 large Onion - chopped

2-3 large Carrots - cut into 2" chunks

6 cloves Garlic - minced 1/2c

(60g) Flour

6 sprigs Thyme - tied together

3c (720g) Burgundy or other dry Red Wine (Pinot Noir)

2 large Bay Leaves

3c (720g) low sodium Beef Stock

1/4c (50g) Tomato Paste

salt and pepper - to taste

[1 hour into cooking] 15g/1-2 squares of Dark Chocolate - at least 80% cacao

For finishing

4 tbs(56g) Butter

2 tbs (28g) Olive Oil

20 Pearl Onions

1lb (454g) Cremini Mushrooms (Baby Bella)- quartered

3 tbs flat leaf Parsley minced

2 tsp fresh Thyme Leaves

salt and pepper - to taste

Method

1. Cut meat into 2 inch chunks. Remove any excess fat and discard. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in flour and shake off excess. KEEP the flour and set aside.

   
   

2. Cut bacon into 1 inch strips and sauté in a Dutch oven until lightly browned but not burnt. Remove bacon set aside.

   
   

3. In dutch oven, brown meat on all sides in the bacon fat, do not overcrowd the pan. Brown meat in batches. The whole process should take 15 to 20 minutes total. Don't rush this as flavor is developed at this point.

   ** Now would be a good time to preheat the oven: 350F/176C

   
   

4. If there is no bacon fat left in the pan, add a little olive oil. Add onions, stir and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add carrots to the pot and stir, add garlic and continue to stir for two minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for four minutes. If bottom of pan begins to burn add a little water or some of your beef stock, keep stirring.

   
   

5. Add the flour used for dredging and stir until well combined, stir for one minute. Add to your wine and stir. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Make sure you remove all the brown bits, fond, from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Add beef stock, bring back to a simmer. Add the sprigs of thyme and bay leaves. Add the meat with the juices, and add the bacon. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in oven.

   
   

**Now is a good time to prep your finishing touches, see below.

After one hour, remove pot and stir. Add chopped chocolate and stir. Cover and return to oven for another hour or until meat is fork tender. Time will vary, depending on the size of your meat chunks, the temperature of your oven, etc.

Total cooking time could be as long as 2 to 3 hours. Don't rush it, have some of the Burgundy ;)

You don't want to overcook the meat so that it is mushy.

After the second hour, remove thyme bundle and bay leaves. Check for seasoning now. Adjust if needed with salt and pepper. The sauce will have reduced a little while cooking, it should just be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If for some reason, it is too watery, strain the entire stew, and reduce only the sauce for a few minutes. When it is reduce to your satisfaction, return meat and veg to the sauce.

** In a pan, over medium high heat, add the olive oil. When hot but not smoking, add your paper towel-dried pearl onions. Toss and cook for a 2-4 minutes until they take on a little color. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they brown just a little bit and you see water begin to come out of them.

Add the onions, thyme & butter and stir. Add salt to taste [~1/4 tsp] Stir for one minute and take off the heat. Set aside until stew is done.

Serve your beef bourguignon topped with the mushroom & onions. Excellent with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Enjoy every bit of this incredible French classic.