Tasty Planner - Recipe - Beef Bourguignon by Barlowgirl

Instructions

Cook bacon in a 3-quart saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain.

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour between two large sealable plastic bags. Divide beef between bags, seal bags, and shake to coat meat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown beef well in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.

Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy and deglaze pot by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, for 1 minute. Pour over beef.

Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni (stick cloves into celery so they don’t fall out). Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, meat with its juices, and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer, and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, blanch boiling onions in a 4-quart saucepan of boiling well-salted water for 1 minute; drain (blanching onions makes peeling easier). Rinse under cold running water, then peel.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add boiling onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water (1 1/2 cups if using pearl onions), bring to a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, until onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase heat and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

When meat is tender, stir onions and mushrooms into stew and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard bouquet garni and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook’s note: • The beef bourguignon can be made up to 1 day ahead, and in fact it tastes even better made ahead, because this gives the flavors time to develop. Cool, uncovered, then refrigerate, covered. Chilling also makes it easy to remove fat from the surface.