Beef Bourguignon

Everyone has their own recipe for beef bourguignon! But many of you have asked me for my recipe, so today I’m publishing it. I give you my version which I find extremely tasty. This recipe is by no means set in stone, like most savory dishes. You can add your personal touch. I invite you to leave your tips and tricks in the comments. Like many dishes in sauce, this one will be better if prepared the day before! 

Prepare the chuck. Remove the hard parts…

Then cut it into pieces.

Place the meat in a container and add the glass of cognac.

Then the red wine.

Let macerate for at least three hours or overnight in a cool place.

When the meat is ready, dry it well in paper towels, taking care to keep the marinade! 

Brown the meat over very high heat.

Let cook until the juice evaporates and the meat is colored.

Remove the meat from the casserole.

Then add the remaining 25g of butter and the flour.

Let brown on a slightly lower heat.

Add the marinade.

Then the beef broth. You can leave out the broth and use only wine as you often see, but I prefer my beef bourguignon prepared this way. 

Bring to a boil. When the sauce boils, return the meat to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

You can also add the stems of the mushrooms, well cleaned.

And finally the bouquet garni.

Close the lid and place in a low oven (150 degrees) for at least two hours.

You can stop cooking at this point if you decide to continue the dish the next day. 

Half an hour before the two-hour baking time (or the next day), prepare the rest. Brown the lardons in a hot pan.

When they are golden brown, set them aside.

Peel the spring onions and slice the mushrooms (they no longer have their stems, poor things…).

Brown the onions in the fat of the lardons in the hot pan. Just color them, not cook them.

At the end of the two hours, remove the casserole from the oven.

Remove the feet of the mushrooms.

Remove the bouquet garni as well, and finally add the lardons and spring onions.

Mix well and add the sliced mushrooms.

Mix everything together, bring to a boil, then return to the oven for one hour. 

If the sauce is too liquid at the end of this cooking time, re-cook uncovered (without the lid) over low heat or add a little flour. You should also check the cooking of the meat and vegetables and adjust according to the desired flavours and textures. 

Serve hot, with fresh pasta for example…