Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time:

40 Minutes + overnight

Cook Time:

2 hours 15 minutes

Serves:

6

This is French country cooking at its finest. A real Autumn/Winter dish, served with mash and glazed carrots (or greens). Whichever good quality wine you use to marinate the beef overnight, serve the same with the dish the next day. I make this with shin of beef, or use chuck steak (shoulder) and cook for an extra 45 minutes.

Ingredients

for Marinade

1 kg shin of beef cut into 6cm x 1cm thick pieces
1 banana shallot peeled & sliced
2 garlic cloves peeled & crushed
2 springs of thyme
2 bay leaves torn
2 parsley stalks crushed
8 pepper corns crushed
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 bottle of Rhone wine

For Bourguignon

1 tbs beef dripping, duck fat, or vegetable oil
250g button mushrooms, stalks removed, wiped over a damp cloth, cut in half
125g salt pork or pancetta cut into 2cm long match sticks
2 cloves garlic peeled & crushed
750 ml good beef/veal stock
The reserved strained marinade
Bouquet garni
Sea salt & black pepper
1 tbs cornflour mixed with 2 tbs cold water
2 tbs chopped parsley

Method

1 Marinade the beef in a covered, non-reactive dish in the fridge overnight.
2 In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the duck fat on a low heat, cook until it renders its fat and goes crispy.
3 Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
4 Add the shallots and brown.
5 Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and nicely coloured, add to the bacon.
6 Turn the heat up to medium and add the beef dry on a cloth.
7 Season the beef with salt and pepper.
8 Brown the beef with the garlic cloves and remove from the pan.
9 Add the marinade, beef stock, and bouquet Garn
10 Bring to a simmer, remove any impurities, and cover with a lid.
11 Cook for 2 hours, then check if tender.
12 Stir in the cornflour.
13 Skim off fat, add the mushrooms, shallots and bacon, then stir well.
14 Place in a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley

Beef Bourguignon