Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)

The following recipe is one of the dishes we served at the Silver Oak Wine Dinner we held. We are including them on our website since so many guests requested the recipe. We hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients

6 strips bacon, cut in to ½ inch pieces
3 lbs. Beef chuck, cut into 11/2 inch cubes
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup cognac or other brandy
3 cups (24 oz. Or 1- 750 ml bottle dry, full bodied red wine (pinot noir, syrah, etc.)
11/2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons beef demi-glace
1tablespoon tomato paste
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
1 lb white button mushrooms, quartered
7oz. Fresh pearl onions, blanched/peeled OR frozen pearl onions, thawed
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In frying pan over medium heat, sauté bacon until browned, but not crisp. Transfer to paper towels.
Pat the beef cubes dry & season with salt & pepper. In Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Working in batches to avoid over crowding, add beef and brown all sides. Transfer meat to bowl and set aside.
Add chopped onions & carrots to the pot & sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are lightly browned. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle flour on top and cook, stirring, until the flour is incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Return the bacon & meat, along with any juices to the pot.
Remove from heat, add the cognac and flambé. (remove from heat, add cognac. Briefly reheat cognac & remove quickly. Use long match and light the meat (actually you’re lighting the fumes) and let burn ‘till flames burn out. (about 1 minute) Have a pan lid available if flame does not go out in 1 minute. Return to medium –low heat, add the wine, stock, demi-glace, tomato paste garlic bay leaf and salt/pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven & braise, covered until meat is fork-tender and the stew is the consistency of thick cream, about 2 hours. Discard bay leaf if desired.
Meanwhile, in frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Melt remaining butter, add the pearl onions & cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cups water, cover & cook until onions are softened. Transfer to the mushrooms.
When ready to serve, stir the mushrooms, pearl onions & tablespoon parsley into the stew. Season to taste, transfer to large bowl & garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately. Fingerling potatoes make a great side dish /topper

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Soup & Stew, by Diane Worthington (Simon & Schuster )