Beef Bourguignon

This is not an ordinary "beef stew."  There is a synergism - the various ingredients create a meal that is more than the sum of its parts.  The sauce is intense. 

This is the recipe description on cooking.nytimes.com: 

"Like coq au vin, its sister dish from the Burgundy region of France, beef Bourguignon is a stew of meat slowly simmered in hearty red wine along with pearl onions, mushrooms and crisp, cubed bacon. Use a good wine here, something simple but drinkable. It makes all the difference in the finished dish. As with all beef stews, this one is best made a day or two ahead; don’t sauté the mushrooms and onions until just before serving."

I served it with Potato Tostones and green beans and fresh tomatoes.  I omitted the pearl onions and used bacon instead of lardons, but I think I'll try the lardons next time, if I can find them.  That last section about cooking the mushrooms seemed unnecessary, so I just sauteed them.

4 servings

13 calculated points

Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck or other boneless stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes and patted dry
• 2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 ounces bacon diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 large carrot sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 750-milliliter bottle of red wine
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch sugar

Directions

Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.

Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine mushrooms, 1/4 cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

To serve, scatter mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley.