Beef Bourguignon...Sans Mushrooms

Although this blog started when I lived in France, I rarely post French recipes any more.  I don't know why that is--I do cook French food, but I just never get around to posting it.  So I'm taking care of that this week.  Today I'm tackling the ever-so-French Beef Bourguignon.  It sounds fancy, but really it's just a French beef stew.  Typically it's made with mushrooms too, but since my husband and I aren't fond of fungi, I just leave them out.  If you'd like to add them, just slice some, saute them in a little butter, and add them toward the end of cooking.  You'll definitely want to serve this with crusty bread and some wine.  I usually drink the same bottle that's used in the cooking process.

This makes quite a bit, but no one minds in my household.  Leftovers are a welcome addition to our busy lives.  :-)

Beef Bourguignon
Adapted from Ina Garten

1 Tbl olive oil
8 ounces bacon, cut into matchsticks
2 1/2 pounds stew beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 Tbl tomato paste
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 Tbl unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole pearl onions

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, 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 about 1/2 cup of the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up all of the bacon and veggie bits.  Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with their 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 the butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

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