Beef Bourguignon

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

I'm amazed that I got dressed this morning & that I've been out for a walk & made a trip to the deli.

It's been raining for hours & the sky is slate grey.

The thing is, I wanted some cold air on my face plus a stretch of the legs.

The deli visit was for the beef & bacon for the weekend main event.

A warming, hearty & rich beef stew.

This will serve two to three folk.

Tastes even more delicious the next day.

400g Braising Beef cubed

Enough Seasoned Plain Flour to coat the Beef

3 slices of Streaky Smoked Bacon cut into strips

200g Baby Onions or Shallots peeled

1 Fat Onion peeled & chopped

100g Mushrooms

3/4 Garlic Cloves (a smoked bulb is nice to use) peeled & left whole

2 Bay Leaves

Sprigs of Thyme

Bottle of Burgundy

100ml Beef or Vegetable Stock

Oil for frying

Seasoning

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

Get prepped the day before. It's worth it. Marinating the beef, thyme & bay leaves in the wine brings flavour & a liquor to cook with.

Into the fridge for the night.

Next day take the beef out & reserve that precious marinade

Oven 140C/Gas1

Cover the room temperature beef pieces in the seasoned flour before browning in a heated & oiled pan or oven casserole

Be patient as you turn the cubes

Don't crowd the pan

Do them in batches

Once nicely coloured pop them onto a plate

Next into the pan go the baby onion or shallots followed by the chopped onion

Smokey, salty bacon is next in there

Garlic

Let everything soften for 10/15 minutes

Beef chunks rejoin the pot

Your herby red wine marinade goes in next followed by the stock

Check seasoning

Cover & into the oven for an hour/hour & a half

The mushrooms go in 20 minutes before dishing up

Some boiled potatoes, cauliflower & carrots are the bedmates.

AMM