Boozy beef stew or more technically, beef bourguignon/bœuf bourguignon, is arguably one of the most famous French dishes, thanks in large part to Julia Child. In her book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", Child said, "it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man".
While her recipe is considered by many to be the definitive version of this classic, it is also complicated and time consuming. There's searing, sautéing, glazing, skimming, straining, reducing, and don't forget the constant stirring. The result--a rich, savoury dish with a thick, glistening sauce, is, by all accounts, worth the effort.
A quick glance at French websites shows that most home cooks in France aren't quite so fussy. They have simpler recipes. They also have pressure cookers.
While I don't own a pressure cooker, thanks to my friend Vinsee, I am the very happy owner of a slow cooker.
In this version, there's still a lot of searing and sautéing, but once everything is prepped, you can just walk away and let the wine and beef do their thing. If you want that incredible sauce, you can certainly strain and reduce it, and then add a beurre manié, but I think it still tastes incredible without all the hassle.
Most recipes also use bacon to produce the initial cooking fat, and for extra flavour at the end. I don't find it necessary, but you can certainly add some, since bacon makes everything better.
As a note, open your windows and turn on all the fans while you are searing...
Bœuf Bourguignon
adapted from theKitchn.com
Serves 6
2.5 pounds of beef chuck roast, cut into1 inch cubes
2 cups of red wine, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp flour
3 large carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup of chicken broth
1 pound of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of pearl onions (if you can, try to find the frozen, peeled ones as peeling these suckers is a nightmare )
1. Sprinkle beef cubes with salt and pepper and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the beef cubes to the hot skillet in a single layer. Let the beef sear until caramel-brown, for 1-3 minutes. Flip the pieces and sear the other side, and then transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Deglaze the skillet with 1/4 cup of wine, then pour the wine into the slow cooker, over the meat. Repeat until all the meat is seared, deglazing between each batch.
2. Cook the onions with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until soft and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook until the flour is browned. Add the carrots and celery, and cook until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Stir the beef cubes and vegetables together in the slow cooker with 1 teaspoon of salt. Tuck the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf into the mixture. Pour the chicken broth and the remaining wine over the beef and vegetables — the liquid should come about 3/4 of the way to the surface of the ingredients.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5. While the beef is cooking, cook the mushrooms with 1/4 teaspoon salt until they release all their liquid, and the mushrooms are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pearl onions, and cook until tender. Transfer the mushrooms and pearl onions and set aside.
6. The meat is cooked when it falls apart easily. Stir in the mushrooms and pearl onions. Cook with the slow cooker on high until the mushrooms and onions are warmed through, about 10 minutes.
7. Serve with pasta, potatoes or bread. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for about a week, or frozen for several months.
Yum!
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