Beef Bourguignon

Name: Beef Bourguignon
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1600g braising steaks; 300g bacon lardons; handful bay leaves; sprig thyme; 1 bottle red wine; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, large; 3 tbsp flour; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 500g small shallots; 500g mushrooms

Now refined into haute cuisine, beef bourguignon actually has its history rooted in affordable, peasant food! From the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region just outside Île-de-France, the dish traditionally made use of the much-prized Charolais cattle that were and continue to be reared locally. Initially published as a recipe by Auguste Escoffier in the 19th century, this recipe follows the original almost entirely, except for some marginal changes that have become staple additions to the dish over time.

Ingredients

1600g braising steaks

300g bacon lardons

handful bay leaves

sprig thyme

1 bottle red wine

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, large

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato purée

500g small shallots

500g mushrooms

Step by Step

1
Throw the braising steak chunks into a large bowl and add a small bunch of thyme, 4 bay leaves, and the bottle of wine. Season with some pepper and place in the fridge to marinate and cool overnight.
2
Take a colander and strain the marinated meat over it into another large bowl. Make sure to keep the meat-infused wine!
3
Throw the braising steak chunks onto the pan and brown. Let the browned chunks rest to one side.
4
Take the same pan and fry the chunks of carrot and onion until they start to colour. Add the 3 tablespoons of plain flour and stir for 1 minute and then stir in 1 tablespoon of purée.
5
Add the rested steak chunks back into the pan along with any juices and the meat-infused wine from earlier. Season well with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to to a light simmer, before covering the pan.
6
Move everything over to the oven and bake for approximately two hours so the beef becomes very, very tender.
7
Allow the bourguignon to cool.
8
Take the bacon lardons and shallots, throw them into a pan that's been preheated over a medium flame with a small knob of butter in it. Allow to sizzle for 15 minutes or until the bacon starts to become very crisp and the onions have caramelised.
9
Add the mushrooms and fry the mixture for 5 minutes. Finally, stir into the stew over a low heat for 10 minutes.