Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 20 small white onions, brown-braised
• 450g fresh mushrooms, cut into halves or quarters, sautéed in butter
• 170g bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1.3kg lean stewing beef, cut into 2″ chunks (we used chuck roast)
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• 3 cups red wine
• 2 – 3 cups beef stock

Method

Preheat your oven to 230°. In a cast iron pot, sauté the bacon over medium heat. After the bacon has browned lightly, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Take the pot with the bacon fat off the heat. Cut the beef into 5cm cubes and then pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the pot with the bacon fat over medium high heat until the fat is nearly smoking.

Add a few cubes of the beef. Sear them, letting them sit without disturbing them for a few minutes per side, until they are a deep brown. While the beef is browning, cut the onion and carrot into chunks.

After browning the last of the meat, add the vegetables. Brown them slightly and then remove them and set them aside.

Put the beef and bacon back into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and some fresh black pepper. Toss the beef to coat.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat again. Set the pot in the middle of your 230° oven and cook for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and cook for another 4 minutes in the oven. Reduce the heat of the oven to 160°. Return the pot to the stove top and add the vegetables, wine, broth, tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. The meat should be just barely covered by liquid.

Bring to a simmer on the stove top and then place in the oven. Cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the pearl onions. For the pearl onions, peel them if using fresh. If using frozen, defrost in water. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and brown them on each side.

Once browned, add 1/2 cup beef stock, a pinch of thyme and a bay leaf and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the onions are cooked through.

Peel a few potatoes and cut them into quarters. Put them in a sauce pan and cover them with water. Season the water until it taste like sea water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and mash them, adding a bit of butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Clean 1 pound of mushrooms and then cut them into halves or quarters depending on their size. Sauté over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of butter, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

When the meat is tender, remove it from the oven and place on the stovetop. Taste the sauce for seasoning; it may need a little salt or pepper. Before serving, add in the braised onions and sautéed mushrooms to pot along with the beef and vegetables. Serve over mashed potatoes with a gravy boat of extra sauce on the side