Boeuf Bourguignon

Beef slowly braised in red Burgundy with lardons, mushrooms and pearl onions until fork-tender.

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.35 kg) beef chuck or shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 lb (112 g) lardons or slab bacon, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 bottle red Burgundy or other dry red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bouquet garni
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 12 pearl onions, peeled
• 1/2 lb (225 g) button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tbsp butter

Directions

1. Pat the beef dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven and brown the beef hard on all sides in batches; set aside.
2. Render the lardons in the same pot, then add the onion and carrot and cook until softened.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Return the beef, pour in the wine and stock, and add the tomato paste, bouquet garni and garlic.
4. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom, then cover and transfer to a 325 F oven (or low stovetop simmer). Braise until the meat is very tender, about 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Near the end, melt the butter in a skillet and glaze the pearl onions until golden, then saute the mushrooms separately until browned.
6. Remove the bouquet garni, stir the onions and mushrooms into the stew, and simmer 10 more minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with crusty bread or noodles.

Notes

Adapted from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook; a centerpiece dish of his bistro repertoire.