Winter again. If I had a fireplace, I would have lit it and let it crackle softly as I gazed out the window, wine glass in hand. But since I don’t, I turned on the oven and let some beef cook slowly in wine for a few good hours—perfect weather for one of the great classics of French cuisine: boeuf bourguignon.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1.5 kg beef (I used beef shank)
- 200g bacon
- 100g butter
- 1 large carrot and 4-6 small baby carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 large onion and 13-15 small onions (cipolline)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 bottle of red wine, preferably Burgundy
- 1 liter beef stock
- 500g small champignon mushrooms
- 1 bunch of parsley for garnish
PREPARATION:
Preparing a recipe like boeuf bourguignon requires organization, patience, and dedication. But the result is worth every bit of effort, as the many hours of slow cooking in the oven allow the beef to become tender, and the flavors to meld together into a rich, indulgent, and memorable dish. Here's how I did it:
1. I cut the beef into approximately 5 cm pieces, seasoned them with salt, and set them aside.
2. I cut the bacon into small pieces, browned them in a hot pan, then removed and set them aside in a bowl.
3. In the fat left from the bacon, complemented by butter, I browned the beef pieces in batches. After browning, I set the beef aside and continued with the vegetables.
4. In the same pan, again with butter, I sautéed the large carrot (cut into rounds) and the large onion (sliced).
5. Lastly, I poured the wine over the vegetables and let the flavors meld while I focused on the meat.
6. In a cast-iron pot (cocotte), I placed the browned beef pieces and dusted them with flour on both sides. I placed the pot in a preheated oven at 200°C for 5 minutes, then turned the meat pieces and baked for another 5 minutes.
7. After that, I added the bacon, onions, carrots, and wine to the cocotte. I topped it up with about three-quarters of the beef stock, the tomato paste, crushed garlic, and the bouquet garni. I then reduced the oven temperature to 150°C and let it cook for at least 3 hours, occasionally stirring and checking the sauce’s consistency. If the sauce reduced too quickly and the meat dried out, I added more beef stock. However, in my case, the meat cooked for about 4 hours without needing any extra liquid.
8. About 30 minutes before taking the boeuf bourguignon out of the oven, I sautéed the baby onions and carrots in butter in a pan, then added the remaining beef stock and let them simmer until tender. In a separate pan, I sautéed the champignon mushrooms.
9. The recipe suggests straining the sauce and reducing it further, but I found it thick enough, and the meat was incredibly tender, so I skipped that step. I simply added the baby onions, carrots, and mushrooms to the cocotte and garnished the dish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
10. To serve, I accompanied the boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes enriched with comté cheese and a subtle hint of garlic. And, of course, a robust red wine, in keeping with the spirit of the dish and the weather outside.
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