While I promised you all this recipe a long time ago, I am only just now am getting around to posting the recipe. I actually have a massive backlog of recipes to post, but this poll winner gets top priority!
I’ve spent quite some time working on this recipe, and I really hope you like it! I’ve gotta say: while it involves a little work and a lot of time, boeuf bourguignon is the perfect comfort food for cold wintery nights. And it’s nearly impossible to have too many leftovers. Below the recipe I’ll explain how to turn boeuf bourguignon into little pies!
Boeuf bourguignon, Suus’ style
- 100 gr/ 3.5 ounces bacon lardons
- 1 kg/ 2.2 lb organic stewing beef, sliced into 3 by 3 cm/ 1.5 inch cubes, dried with paper towels
- a few baby carrots, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 TB flour
- 500 ml/ 2 C red wine
- 300 ml/ 1.75 C beef consommé
- 2 TB concentrated tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 stalks thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 500 gr/ 1 LB brown button mushrooms, quartered
- olive oil
- butter
Sautée your bacon in a large stewing pot with a thick bottom until all of the fat has rendered out and the bacon is crispy and well browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add a table spoon of olive oil to the bacon fat and brown the beef. You have to do this is batches. Do not overcrowd the bottom of the pot, or the beef will not brown. Only brown, don’t cook the beef! Pour off most of the cooking fat.
Put the onion, carrots and garlic into the stewing pot and quickly fry for a few minutes, until soft but not brown. Return the bacon and the browned beef to the stewing pot. Add the flour and give it a few good stirs and shakes, until the flour has cooked. Add the thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, all of the wine and enough of the consommé to just barely cover the meat. It shouldn’t be too soupy! Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low, and simmer (covered) for at least 1.5 and up to 3 hours. Until meat is very tender.
In the mean time, while the beef is stewing, heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet, and place the shallots in a single layer in the skillet. Brown on all sides. The shallots should still be firm (see picture). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Heat another tablespoon of butter in the skillet and brown the mushrooms, together with a few pinches of salt, over high heat until very well browned and all the moisture has evaporated (see picture). Set aside.
To finish the boeuf bourguignon, add the shallots and mushrooms to the stew. Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Fish out the bay leaves and the thyme if you can. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes, or (as I did) on its own with some crusty bread on the side. Garnish with parsley if you like.
PROTIP!
This recipe makes quite a lot of boeuf bourguignon, and considering the amount of work involved you may as well double the recipe and make a huge batch.
Leftover boeuf bourguignon is delicious as a filling for elegant little pies. To make them, oil small pie dishes and fill them with boeuf bourguignon. Roll out a few sheets of puff pastry and cover the boeuf bourguignon completely. Cut a few holes in the top, and decorate with the remaining pastry. Brush all over with egg wash and bake in a hot oven until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot an bubbly (about 30 minutes).