Beef Bourguignon I

Lynda Parker

ingredients

6-ounce chunk of bacon and bacon rind
1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups of a full-bodied red wine
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
Bay leaf, crumbled
18 to 24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter
parsley sprigs

directions

1
1. Cut bacon chunk into“x1/2” sticks. Simmer bacon and bacon rind for 10 minutes in 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
2
2. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly and until fat is almost smoking. Remove the bacon and set aside.
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3. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.
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4. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables and then pour out the sautéing fat.
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5. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper.
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6. Sprinkle the flour on top of the beef mixture and toss to coat the beef lightly with the flour.
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7. Set uncovered oven-proof casserole dish on the middle rack of 450°F pre-heated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.)
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8. Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325°F .
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9. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove.
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10. Cover the casserole and set in lower third of 325°F oven.
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11. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
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12. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
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13. Wash out the casserole dish and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
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14. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
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15. For Immediate Serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
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16. For Later Serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring ingredients to a simmer and then cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.