Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients

• beef chuck1.5 kg, cut into 5 cm cubes
• thick-cut bacon lardons200 g
• red Burgundy wine1 bottle (750 ml)
• beef stock500 ml
• yellow onion1 large, diced
• carrots2, sliced thick
• garlic4 cloves, smashed
• tomato paste2 tbsp
• all-purpose flour3 tbsp
• bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley stems)1
• pearl onions250 g, peeled
• cremini mushrooms300 g, quartered
• unsalted butter3 tbsp
• flat-leaf parsleysmall handful, chopped
• fine sea salt and black pepperto taste

Steps

1. 1

   Pat and season the beef, render lardons.

   Pat the beef dry and season heavily with salt and pepper. In a heavy Dutch oven, render the lardons over medium heat until crisp, then lift them out.

2. 2

   Sear the beef in bacon fat.

   Sear the beef in the bacon fat in batches, undisturbed, until each side is deeply browned. Crowding steams the meat — give it room.

3. 3

   Cook vegetables and add tomato paste and flour.

   Add the diced onion, carrots, and garlic to the pot. Soften 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook 2 minutes more.

4. 4

   Add wine, stock, beef, lardons, and bouquet garni.

   Pour in the wine and stock, scraping up the fond. Return the beef and lardons, tuck in the bouquet garni, and bring to a bare simmer.

5. 5

   Cover and braise the beef.

   Cover and braise at 160°C / 325°F for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beef yields to a spoon.

6. 6

   Glaze pearl onions and sauté mushrooms.

   While the beef braises, melt the butter in a skillet and glaze the pearl onions with a splash of water until tender and shiny. Sauté the mushrooms separately until golden.

7. 7

   Fold vegetables into stew and serve.

   Fold the onions and mushrooms into the finished stew. Taste for salt, scatter parsley, and serve with buttered noodles or boiled potatoes.