A classic beef stew from the Burgundy region of France. Tender beef braised in red wine with pearl onions, button mushrooms and bacon. Garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
(Note: For a lower-fat dish, omit the bacon. If the sauce is over-reduced, add more beef stock and reduce again. The beef should be fork tender, but should not fall apart when stirred with a spoon)
SERVINGS
6
PREPARATION TIME
1 hours 0 minutes
START TO FINISH TIME
4 hours 0 minutes
CUISINE
French
STEW
- 3-1/2 Pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 Each White Onion, Large Diced
- 3 Each Carrots, Peeled and Large Diced
- 2 Stalks Celery, Peeled and Large Diced
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Bouquet Garni (See Recipe Below)
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 T Grapeseed Oil
- 1 T Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Flour
- 2 C Red Wine
- 4 C Low Sodium Beef Broth
- 12 Each Pearl Onions (Optional)
- 1 Pint Button Mushrooms, Quartered
- 4 Slices Bacon, Lardon
- 2 T Fresh Parsley, Chopped
BOUQUET GARNI
- 2 T Fresh Parsley Stems
- 2 T Fresh Thyme
- 1 Each Bay Leaf
- 4 Each Black Peppercorns
Pre-heat the oven to 300 F.
Combine the rough mirepoix (the onion, carrot and celery) and prepare the Bouquet Garni and reserve.
Cut the meat into bite-size pieces, following the natural breaks in the muscle. Remove any large pieces of fat and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot until hot.
Add the meat a little at a time to avoid dropping the pan temperature too much.
Sear until browned on all sides but not cooked through. Reserve the meat to a platter.
Add the mirepoix to the pan, along with the tomato paste, and the Bouqet Garni.
Push the color to brown the mirepoix. Deglaze with a little water if the ingredients begin to stick to the pan.
Singer (sprinkle with flour), stir to coat the ingredients, and cook briefly.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, add the garlic paste, stir to combine and reduce by one-third.
Add the meat back to the pot along with the beef stock, to just cover the meat.
Tightly cover the pot with aluminum foil, bring to a boil and carefully transfer to the pre-heated oven. Braise until the beef is very tender, approximately 3 hours.
Meanwhile, peel and skin the pearl onions (if using). Score the root end with an “x” to facilitate cooking. Add the onions to a pot, cover with water, add a pinch of sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, drain, and reserve to dry.
Lardon the bacon (cut into narrow strips cross-wise). Add to a medium skillet over medium heat and render until brown and crispy. Reserve.
Warm the same skillet used to render the bacon (with the rendered fat) over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to show some color. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
Warm the same skillet again over medium-high heat. Add the boiled pearl onions and sauté until caramelized. Reserve with the mushrooms and bacon.
Finishing the Dish
Remove the pot of stew from the oven and reserve the meat to a platter. Depouiller (skim the fat from the broth) and strain into a clean pot, pressing the juice out of the remaining solids. Put the pot on the stove-top over medium-high heat and reduce.
Once the desired flavor is achieved, add some roux (a blend of melted butter mixed with equal parts flour) or a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and warm water) and cook for a minimum of 5 minutes more to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency (the sauce should be thick enough to coat the ingredients in the stew).
Add the reserved meat, onions, mushrooms and bacon to the reduced sauce, stir to combine and coat all ingredients and warm for 3-4 minutes, or until heated through.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Enjoy!