Beef Burgundy Aka Boeuf Bourguignon A La Ivo Recipes

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
• To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the red wine, beef stock, brandy, onion, carrots, garlic, parsley sprigs, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, and bay leaf and stir well. Add the beef and stir. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Drain the beef and reserve the marinade and vegetables separately. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Set the beef and vegetables aside.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the outer rind of the slab bacon. Cut the bacon into lardons: 1 inch long strips about 1/4- inch thick. In a small saucepan, cover the lardons and the rind with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the lardons and rind, pat them dry, and reserve both.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook, stirring, until crisp and their fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lardons to paper towels to drain.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, and shake off any excess.
• Raise the heat to high and, working in batches, brown the beef. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and return to high heat. Add the reserved vegetable mixture and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 5 minutes.
• Return all of the browned beef to the pot. Add the reserved marinade liquid, and reserved bacon rind. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the stew to the oven and cook, covered, until the beef is very tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the stew from the oven. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Return the beef and strained broth to the Dutch oven with the lardons.
• Put the pearl onions in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter and the sugar. Cover the onions with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the onions over medium-high heat until almost tender. Raise heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid to about 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook the onions, shaking the pan over the heat, until the onions are golden brown and glazed. Transfer the onions to the stew.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms, tossing often, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the stew.
• In a small bowl, cream together the tablespoon of softened butter with the tablespoon of flour. Roll the mixture into pea-sized pieces.
• Bring the stew to a simmer and, while stirring gently, add enough beurre manie, bit by bit, to lightly thicken the sauce.
• Divide the stew among 6 shallow soup plates and garnish each with a crouton. Serve immediately with pasta or boiled potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush both sides of the bread with the butter and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons until golden brown. Dip the edges of the bread in the stew to moisten; then in parsley to lightly coat the edges.
• Yield: 6 croutons

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON (BEEF BURGUNDY)

Steps:

• Blanch bacon with 1 cup of water in a nonstick pan, to render and give off enough fat to fry with. Remove bacon into a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan, throw the beef cubes in, few pieces at a time. Sauté until nicely brown on all sides using rendered fat from bacon and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then remove browned beef from the pan into the bowl with bacon and set aside.
• In the same fat and pan, brown cubed carrots and sliced onions. Poured out excess fat before the meat and bacon are put back into the pan. Then toss with salt, pepper and flour to coat lightly the meat. Cook till flour in meat turns brown with a light crust. Turn meat and vegetables once while cooking.
• When done, remove the meat and vegetables into a large casserole. Deglaze the pan with red wine, pouring it into the casserole along with the beef stock, almost to cover the meat and vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes and added the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer and covered. Regulate heat so that liquid simmer very slowly for 4 hours or until the meat is tender and sauce has reduced. It is worth checking the meat every hour and if the level of liquid drops, gradually add half a cup each of the beef stock and red wine.
• When the stew is done, prepare the shallots and mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add shallots and sauté over moderate heat, gently rolling them till brown evenly. Then add 1 cup of the stock left, salt and pepper and the same herb bouquet used in the stew. Cover and simmer slowly until the shallots are tender, and the liquid evaporates. Then remove the herb bouquet and set the shallots aside.
• In the same skillet, heat remaining oil and butter over high heat and add the mushrooms, tossing them till brown slightly. Then remove from heat. Set the mushrooms aside until needed.
• Pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Simmer the sauce for 2 minutes in the saucepan, allowing the sauce to reduce gently, to give a rich finish to this dish. Season carefully with salt and pepper.
• Wash out the casserole and put back to heat and return the meat and vegetables. Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables into the casserole. Add in the shallots and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes, gently basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.
• Serve hot in a casserole or arrange on a stew platter over mashed potatoes or favorite cooked pasta and garnish with parsley.