- 3 pieces of bacon, diced (you can use olive oil, i have lots of times before)
- about 1 1/4 pounds stew meat
- 2 tbl flour mixed with salt and pepper to coat the stew meat
- about 3/4 of a bag of mini carrots
- 1 onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- about 1 to 3/4 of a bottle of red wine
- 1-2 cups of broth
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh parsly and thyme
- 4 tbl butter
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
- salt and pepper
this dish always makes me feel super sophisticated. for those of you who know me, well, i’m not. i live in leggings and jeans. i wear the same brown sweater and scarf everyday. i take my kids here…and then i take them there. boots, let’s not even go there, i am in love with my boots, if i can wear them 24/7 i would be my happiest. but i love cooking beef bourguignon, it makes me happy, and for that one moment when i’m browning the meat, i feel super sophisticated and just a little classy.
this dish is one of my all time favorites. i think i have really simplified the recipe over the years. in all it takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare, then in the oven for 3-4 hours. honestly…amazing, one of my favorite meals ever. and the smell…oh my, the smell is indescribable. i can’t even…
i know, i know, i go off about food regularly but seriously, this is no joke. i know what your thinking, beef bourguignon is not that easy to make. are there a couple steps, yeah kind of, is it worth it, yes 
the best part of cooking this, surprising your loved one with this great meal. oh and the smell alone is worth it.
beef bourguignon
- preheat the oven to 250.
- in a dutch oven, add bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. remove bacon and set aside.
- most recipes do not say to do this but i feel like it allows me to skip a step later on, toss your beef with salt, pepper and flour. in batches in single layers, brown the beef in the fat, turning to brown on all sides. remove the seared cubes and set aside with bacon.
- now, the veg, add the carrots, garlic, and onions to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, you want your onions to be lightly browned.
- now add your meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. here is the best part, pour that bottle of wine in the pot, i use close to the whole bottle (i like to save some to sample during dinner), i then top it off with broth, just enough to cover meat and veg.
- on top of all that liquid i add the parsley and thyme. bring to a simmer. cover the pot and place it in the oven for about 3 hours or until the meat and vegetables are almost fork tender.
- about a half an hour or so before you meat is done, saute your mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned. take your pot out of the oven and add those bad boys to your stew pot (sometimes i like to chop about a tbl or so of fresh parsley and mix it in). bring it to a boil on your stove top and then lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes till sauce reduces. (if you want your sauce thickened more, in a bowl add some of your sauce and about 1.5 tbl of flour, mix and then add to your pot and stir) this is when i season with salt and pepper.
serve it with fresh bread or some egg noodles and your good to go.
