Beef Bourguignon

The Blog Tech and his fiance' had a long day yesterday moving all of her stuff back home.  It was a dreary damp day so I wanted to make them some yummy comfort food.  There's nothing quite like a big bowl of beef bourguignon.
 Cut a 3-4 pound chuck roast into 1 inch cubes.  Place them on paper towels to dry them. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

 Pat them dry with more paper towels.  The beef will not brown if it isn't dry.

 Cook 1/2 pound of bacon in a heavy pot and leave the grease.  Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the bacon grease.

 Slice 4 onions and set them aside.

 Heat the oil to medium high and add cubes of the beef but do not crowd them. These have to brown on all sides.
 Remove the beef to the pan and continue to brown the rest in batches.

 Slice about 6 carrots into coins and set aside.

 Mix 6 minced garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 3 anchovies. Set this aside.

 When you are done browning the beef, leave all of the drippings and browned bits in the pot and add the onions.

 Add the carrots and stir until they are covered with the oil.

 As they release moisture, they will pick up all of the bits stuck on the bottom of the pot.

 Add the beef and the bacon (mince it) back to the pot and sprinkle it with 2 tsp. of cracked black pepper.

 Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of flour on it and mix it in. Place the pot in the oven and cook it for 5 minutes.  Stir it and cook it for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and turn the oven down to 325 degrees.

 Add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste along with your garlic mix, 3 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary and 1 tablespoon of dried thyme.  Add 4 tablespoons of beef demi glaze.

 Add 3 cups of a hearty red wine.

 I used merlot and I used the whole bottle.

 Add 5 cups of beef broth.

 Stir this all together and put it back in the oven, covered and cook it for about 3 hours.  The stew should thicken and the meat should be very tender.

 I made  a loaf of rosemary bread and roasted garlic and rosemary compound butter to go with it.

I made mashed potatoes to go with it too.


Traditionally it is served with boiled potatoes or noodles.  We prefer mashed potatoes though.

Comments

Anonymous said…
wow, you should have a cooking school, I like your no nonsense approach to explaining things, straight to the point and so accurate with a touch of dry humor to boot!
Perfect,
best wishes to the happy couple and all things wonderful for them in this New Year!
Yum! Thanks for the tip about patting the beef dry.
Anonymous said…
Absolutely wonderful. I've made this but never put it in the oven to bake for so long. I just do it on top of the stove. You've given me a good idea for the next time.
Anonymous said…
Too long since I had that! Can't remember if I've ever made it myself to be honest, time to do so if not :-)

Have a great day!

Christer.
greekwitch said…
Ohhhh that is one great dish!
Guillaume said…
Oh I love a nice boeuf bourguignon! Sadly I haven't eaten it very often in my life.
Ms Misantropia said…
Looks amazing! I will have to make this sometime in January.
Dog Trot Farm said…
One of my favorite meals and I too serve this dish over mashed potatoes...Merry Christmas to you...
This is a recipe I would love to eat..but know I will never make..however..I know someone who will love it...so it my book of "Joyce" it goes! :)
Merry Christmas...
Joyce..you aren't burning the candle at both ends..are you?? Hmmmm??
chickpea678 said…
Yum! This is on my list for when the weather ever gets cold! This is going to be a hit esp with the mashed potatoes!
babs said…
Do you ever rest?
chickpea678 said…
Making this tmrw--can't wait! :)
Tikkun said…
I'm making this right now--good grief, how big is your pot that you can fit thar much bacon in it at once?! I am using my biggest 7 qt dutch oven and cannot even fit half the bacon in my pot at once!