Classic Beef Bourguignon

Rhubarbarella's Note:

This dish is a labor of love. If you make it, you will be nicely rewarded with tender chunks of beef, onion, mushroom, and carrot in a cognac and red wine sauce. I think this is the quintessential French dish. Just the smell of it makes me want to don a beret and run out in search of croissants and the Eiffel Tower. We usually serve it with some mashed or roasted red skinned potatoes and a nice salad. For the wine, I like to use a spicy red zinfandel. A nice hint for using leftover tomato paste - Freeze it in an ice cube tray, pop the cubes out into a plastic freezer bag, and return them to the freezer. Just take a cube out whenever you need some. Another nice hint - To slice mushrooms quickly, use an egg slicer.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 lbs beef roast (rump, chuck, or round)
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup cognac
• 750 ml dry red wine (1 bottle)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 large onion
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 lb mushroom , sliced
• 3 carrots , halved lengthwise and sliced
• salt & pepper , to taste

Directions:

1. Tie the rosemary and thyme together using the chives to make a bouquet garni. Set aside.
2. Trim the fat from the beef roast and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over high heat until hot, taking care not to burn the oil. Carefully add the meat and brown on all sides.
4. Once the meat is nicely browned and the liquid is gone from the pan, add the flour and toss to coat the meat.
5. Slowly add the cognac, stirring constantly and scraping up the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Gradually add the wine, stirring constantly and continuing to scrape the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until most of the alcohol is cooked off and the sauce is thickened. Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour.
7. Cut the onion into large pieces (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches square). Add the pinch of sugar, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Stir, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and meat are tender.
8. Remove the bouquet garni. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Sussan]

This was all it was made out to be; fantastic made exactly to the recipe - oh, exept the only cognac we could get was $220 a bottle - so we subbed brandy :-). We served it with baked potato, green vegetables and home made bread. Yum! Thanks Rhubarbarella!