Beef Bourguignon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

****USE A CAST IRON CASSAROLE DISH (SUCH AS A DUTCH OVEN) OR A STOVETOP FRIENDLY DEEP BAKING DISH FOR THIS RECIPE***

Remove bacon and cut into hunks. Simmer for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.


1 tablespoon of the olive oil in frying pan over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown bacon lightly. Remove to side dish with a paper towel.

Heat bacon greese until almost smoking. Dry beef with paper towels; it will not brown if the meat is damp. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon pile.

In the same greese, brown the sliced vegetables.

Pour out the excess greese.

Return the beef and bacon to the frying pan and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly.

Set a deep casserole dish, uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole pan and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover casserole pan and set in lower shelf of the oven.

Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside

CLEAN out skillet and heat the remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, place the contents of the cassarole dish into a clean large pan or bowel, with a slotted sppons, leaving all liquid left in baking dish.

**** BOIL POTATOES AND CUBE UP*****

.Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for 1-2 minutes, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.
Serve in casserole dish , or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, and decorated with parsley.

Like I said, ALOT of work, but soooo Amazing, I hope I translated this to "laymans terms" as much as posiable, the cook book itself is so much harder to follow. Enjoy !!!