Beef Bourguignon

This was something that I made at the weekend, and am only now getting on to writing about it on here. I actually made it on Saturday, and then warmed it up in the slow cooker on Sunday when we were at church.



My goodness but it sure did smell wonderful when we arrived back home and opened up the door! We are always famished when we get home from church and it's really nice to have something on tap and waiting for us when we get in.

Sure . . . most times we have something simple and quick like egg and chips, beans on toast, or . . . spaghetti on toast . . . but then again . . .



Sometimes we have something really scrummy like Boeuf Bourguignon!! Rich and rib sticking, it may seem a bit old fashioned, but really . . . how can something as delicious as this ever really go out of style . . .

It is fabulous . . . tastily tender chunks of beef and meaty mushrooms in a rich and delicious gravy. Perfect over noodles or (in Todd's case) mashed potatoes! You'll want to serve a nice crusty roll with it so that you can scoop up every last bit of that scrumminess on your plate. (Sorry Mitzie, no leftovers for you today!)



It's one of those tasty meals that seems to get better and better each day it stands. We had the leftovers tonight, warmed in a casserole and topped with a swede/potato mash a la cottage pie. It does make rather a lot and so the rest I've popped into the freezer to take out sometime when we are wanting something rich and filling and delicious. Win/win/win!



*Boeuf Bourguinon*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Deliciously tender beef. This taste even better if you make it a day ahead of time and let it ripen overnight, which makes it the perfect dinner party meal! Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes!

1 1/2 ounces plain flour (1/3 cup)
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
2 1/4 pound of stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 rashers of rindless, smoked streaky bacon, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
375ml of dry red wine ( 1 1/2 cups)
14 ounces beef broth
1 1/2 pounds of fresh mushrooms, wiped clean and halved
2 TBS tomato poaste
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Heat a bit of oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and cook until browned and crisp. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Place the beef in a plastic bag with the flour, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Shake together to coat the meat and add, 1/2 at a time. Cook and brown on all sides. Scoop out and keep warm. Repeat with the remainder of the meat, using a bit more oil if required. Return all the meat to the pan along with the bacon. Add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften. Season with the remainder of the salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, broth and wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove the cover and stir, and simmer for an additional 1 1/2 hours until the sauce is thickened and rich and the meat is very tender. Bring to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to serve, bring slowly back to a simmer on top of the stove. Once it is well heated through you can serve it. Remove the bay leaves before serving.