FOR THE STEW:
6 ounces bacon, in a solid chunk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine (full-bodied Bordeaux, Burgundy or Chianti)
2-3 cups unsalted beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, mashed (or more, to taste)
1 sprig fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
FOR THE BRAISED ONIONS:
18-24 white pearl onions, peeled
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup homemade beef stock
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
FOR THE SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS:
1 pound small button mushroom, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 450°. Cut rind from the bacon and reserve. Cut bacon into 1½ x ¼-inch pieces. Simmer bacon pieces and reserved rind for 10 minutes in 1½ quarts of water. Drain water from bacon and rind mixture and dry pieces on paper towels; reserve. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fireproof casserole (9 or 10 inches wide and 3 inches deep) that has a tight-fitting lid; warm over moderate heat. Sauté bacon pieces (reserving the rind for later use) for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Dry beef pieces with paper towels and sauté until nicely browned on all side (cooking only a few pieces at a time) in the hot oil/bacon fat. When browned, remove from pan and reserve with the bacon. Sauté the onion and carrot just until softened using the same oil/fat. Carefully pour off any excess fat, and then return bacon and beef to the casserole along with the carrots and onion. Gently mix together, adding salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with flour. Place uncovered casserole in the preheated oven for four minutes. Carefully mix casserole contents together again (remember, the pan is hot!), and return pan to the oven for 4 more minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325° and remove casserole from oven. Add wine and just enough stock to barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs and the reserved bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the casserole and place it in the oven, adjusting the heat, if needed, so the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While meat cooks, prepare onions and mushrooms and set them aside until needed. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet; add onions and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, carefully rolling the onions around to brown them evenly, without breaking them apart. Add stock to the pan and season to taste; add herbs and cover the pan. Simmer gently over low heat 40-50 minutes (until onions are tender but still retain their shape and liquid is mostly evaporated). Remove herbs and set onions aside.
FOR THE MUSHROOMS: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over high heat, watching carefully so it does not burn. As soon as the foam begins to subside, add mushrooms; carefully toss and shake the pan for about 5 minutes. As soon as mushrooms are lightly browned, remove pan from the heat.
TO FINISH THE STEW: When meat is tender, remove casserole from the oven; empty the contents into a large strainer set over a saucepan. Rinse the casserole, and return the beef and bacon to it, discarding any bits of carrot, onion and herbs remaining in the sieve. Place the browned mushrooms and onions over the meat. Skim any fat from the sauce, and simmer the sauce 1-2 minutes. Skim off any additional fat that rises to the surface (about 2½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly should remain). If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock; if it is too thin, boil it down gently to reduce the sauce to the right consistency. Taste for seasoning, and pour the finished sauce over the meat and vegetables. Cover the casserole and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve with noodles, potatoes or rice garnished with fresh parsley. — Serves 8-10
This Boeuf Bourguignon was our main entree for a tenant appreciation dinner at our home not too long ago. There was such depth to the flavors in this dish! From appetizers on through dessert, we all enjoyed a wide variety of tastes that evening — and future posts to this website will share some of those other dishes as well. They were all really delicious and definitely worth sharing!