Beef bourgignon

We are only 20 minutes from the border of Burgundy, so it only seems right that I make beef bourgignon to serve to some of our guests through autumn.

It’s a wonderful hearty, rich supper dish, that goes well with buttery mash potatoes. It’s a dish that, with a little effort to start it off, can be left to cook and bubble away in a low oven most of the afternoon.

You start off by preparing your meat. I asked the butcher for beef for a bourgignon, but if you use a good stewing steak that will work well. Cut it into approx one inch chunks, then leave the meat out of the fridge for a bit, as it needs to get up to room temperature. Make sure it’s dry and season it well with salt and pepper.

Whilst this is happening, peel 10 small onions or shallots, 4-5 small carrots and crush 3 garlic cloves. Make up 2 cups of beef stock, and wash 3 bay leaves and a couple of bits of thyme. Chop 4 large rashers of good smoked streaky bacon or use 1/2 cup of lardons.

Fry off the bacon or lardons in 30g of butter in a casserole dish - I used a cast iron one - which goes on the hob then in the oven. Take out the bacon, then fry off the beef in batches, add more butter if needed.

Once this is done add a little more butter to the casserole dish and fry off the onions, garlic and chopped carrots. Then add in the herbs, and place the beef and bacon back into the dish. Mix in 2 tablespoons of a good tomato purée, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix all together until the flour is completely incorporated, then add 2 cups of beef stock and 2 cups of red wine (a burgundy red if you have one). Stir it all together, bring it to the boil, then pop it into the oven.

I cooked mine at 120°c for about 3 hours.

Fry off some button mushrooms, about 200g, in some butter until brown, then add about 2 tablespoons of brandy. Cook long enough to burn off the alcohol (about 5 minutes). Add all this to the casserole, turn up to about 150°c and cook for another 30 mins. Take out of the oven 10-15 minutes before you want to serve it.

Delicious. Really hope you make this over winter. If you do, please let me know how it goes.