Le Boeuf Bourguignon

1. 

   They say beef is best paired with red wine. The French has taken it to heart by combining the two in their stew particularly the cooks of the Burgundy region of France (Bourgogne in French). Beef Bourguignon is a classic and popular French dish of a stew of beef braised in red wine, preferably red wine from Burgundy. Dry red wine is used in this recipe to braise the beef. To make things easier, the stew is cooked in a crock pot for eight to ten hours then seasoned with thyme, parsley, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt and flavored with bacon, onions, mushrooms, and garlic to make an exquisitely delicious French dish. This dish is usually served with some potatoes, crusty bread, salad or a side of green beans for a complete and satisfying meal.

2. Beef Bourguignon originated as a peasant dish. It has evolved and slowly refined into haute cuisine that is served in many upscale French restaurants. Because of the abundant wine in the Burgundy region of France, the people cooked with it a lot of times and used it to tenderize otherwise tough cuts of meat. In her popular book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” cook and writer Julia Child, who popularized the dish in America, noted that beef bourguignon was one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man. Are you looking for video recipes online? Well just click the link

   
   

   In romantic dinners and exquisite celebratory meals, this iconic French dish became popular. The aromatic smell of the wine and the onions and the dark and silky sauce make this dish something to look forward to on special occasions. Porcini mushrooms, also called cepes in France are used for a really delicious dish. The use button mushrooms is okay but they they don’t have much flavor compared to the earthy and scrumptious cepes. To make beef bourguignon in Burgundy and elsewhere, Pinot Noir is typically the kind of wine used.

3. Ingredients

   

   1 cup dry red wine 

   2 tbsp. olive oil 

   1 large onion, sliced 

   1/2 tsp. ground thyme 

   2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped 

   1 bay leaf 

   1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 

   2 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 

   1 1/2-inch cubes 

   3 slices bacon, diced 

   12 small white onions 

   1/2 lb. small mushrooms 

   2 cloves garlic, minced 

   1/2 tsp. salt

   
   

   1. Combine red wine, olive oil, onions, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add beef and marinate it at least 3 hours (overnight if refrigerated). Drain meat reserving the marinade.

   
   2. In a skillet sauté the bacon, over medium-high heat. . Remove bacon from pan and set aside. In the bacon fat, brown the beef.

   
   3. In a crock pot, combine beef, bacon, onions, mushrooms, garlic and salt. Cover with marinade. Cover crock pot and cook on Low Heat for 8-10 hours.