Burgundy Recipes – Beef Bourguignon

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

1 kg / 2.2 lbs good quality beef or Charolais beef

For the Marinade:

1 bottle Burgundy wine, e.g. Pinot Noir
2 large sticks celery roughly chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
pinch of fresh thyme
2 large carrots roughly chopped
2 large onions peeled and quartered
1 bulb garlic, unpeeld and cut horizontally
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

For the Sauce:

2 oz / 50 g of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
8 oz / 200g of smoked bacon / pancetta / lardons chopped into small dices
4 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
a little water
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place the beef in a large bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Cover and marinade for at least 8 hours or preferably over night.

2. Drain off the liquid from the marinade and reserve. Remove the peppercorns, onions and garlic. Separate vegetables from the meat. Dry the meat thoroughly on kitchen paper.

3. Heat heavy based saucepan. Add the butter and oil, then tip in the beef. Cook over a high heat until sealed all over, then remove from the pan and keep warm.

4. Now cook the lardons for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add the shallots and cook until they just begin to soften, stir in all the marinade vegetables, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until sealed.

5. Return the meat to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard until all the ingredients are coated generously. Pour in the reserved marinade liquid and bring to a gentle bubble.

6. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 ½ – 2 hours when the sauce should be thick and the meat tender, you may need to add a little water half way through the cooking process.

Serve with mashed potato.

Recipe by Merrilees Parker