Not Your Mamas Beef Bourguignon Recipes

THE BEST BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
• Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned.
• Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
• In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
• Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned.
• Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.
• Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices.
• Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.
• Add the tomato paste and thyme.
• Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew.
• Add the frozen onions.
• Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew.
• Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Season to taste.
• To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven.
• Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic.
• For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

MARTHA STEWART'S BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In a 6-8 quart saucepan with tightly fitted lid, cook bacon uncovered over medium-low heat, until browned, 10-15 minutes. With slotted spoon transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
• Season beef generously with salt and pepper. In large bowl, dredge beef in flour, shaking off the excess. Raise heat to medium. Working in 2 batches, brown beef in bacon fat on all sides, without crowding, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a bowl.
• Pour water into pan and bring to boil. Cook, stirring to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to a few tablespons, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until sightly softened, 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one minute.
• Add carrots, meat with juices, wine, thyme and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender but not falling apart, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Skim fat off surface of stew and discard. Serve or refrigerate covered, overnight.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Add as many pieces of beef to the pan as will fit without crowding.
• Brown on all sides on fairly high heat.
• Add more oil if needed.
• Repeat until all beef cubes are browned; transfer meat to a sprayed oven-proof casserole.
• Add onions and carrot to the skillet, and brown briefly; transfer to the oven-proof casserole.
• Set casserole over heat.
• Add wine, stock, bay leaf, thyme, orange peel, tomato, tomato paste, and garlic.
• Bring to a simmer, taste, and salt if necessary.
• Take off the stove, cover, and bake at 325F for 2-3 hours, checking for tenderness.
• THE ONIONS: to peel easily, drop onions into a saucepan of boiling water, bring back to a boil, and boil 1 min.
• drain, and drop in cold water.
• trim ends off, and slip skins off.
• MUSHROOMS: Trim, clean and slice mushrooms; saute briefly in 2 tbs.
• butter.
• Finishing the stew: When meat is tender, combine flour and water in a jar and shake until smooth.
• Stir into stew, until blended and add mushrooms and onions.
• Cover and bake another 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
• I serve this over noodles for an elegant holiday entree.

CLASSIC BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Tie the rosemary and thyme together using the chives to make a bouquet garni. Set aside.
• Trim the fat from the beef roast and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over high heat until hot, taking care not to burn the oil. Carefully add the meat and brown on all sides.
• Once the meat is nicely browned and the liquid is gone from the pan, add the flour and toss to coat the meat.
• Slowly add the cognac, stirring constantly and scraping up the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Gradually add the wine, stirring constantly and continuing to scrape the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until most of the alcohol is cooked off and the sauce is thickened. Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour.
• Cut the onion into large pieces (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches square). Add the pinch of sugar, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Stir, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and meat are tender.
• Remove the bouquet garni. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
• Enjoy!