Boeuf Bourguignon

I decided to have my Julie and Julia movie moment, and pulled out Mastering the Art of French Cooking to take a crack at one of her most famous recipes. So here we are. I made some minor tweaks though and it came out great.

For the full bodied red wine, I got the Costco brand Chianti that was about $7. Worked perfectly.

Boeuf Bourguignon

• 6 oz bacon; chopped

• 1 Tb olive oil

• 3 lbs. lean beef for stew (2in cubes)

• 1 onion; sliced

• 2 handfuls of baby carrots

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 2 Tb gluten free flour

• 1 bottle of Kirkland Chianti

• 3 cups of beef stock

• 3 Tb tomato paste

• 2 cloves of mashed garlic

• 1/2 tsp ground thyme

• 1 crumbled bay leaf

• 1 lb mushrooms; washed and quartered

• 4 Tb butter

• 2 Tb olive oil

In a Dutch oven, sauté your bacon with 1 tb of olive oil. Once browned, remove bacon with slotted spoon and put it to the side in a bowl keeping the oil in the pot for the next step.

Take a few pieces at a time of your beef and sauté in bacon oil until browned on all sides. As they cook, remove them and place with bacon until all the beef is fully browned. Keep the same oil for next step.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Once all beef is browned and set aside with bacon, place your onions and carrots in Dutch oven and cook the veggies until browned. Once ready, return your beef and bacon to the same Dutch oven and add in your salt, pepper, and flour. Mix it up. Turn off stovetop and put the lid on your Dutch oven and place it in your preheated 450 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Remove your pot from oven and back on the stovetop on medium heat. Reduce the oven temp to 325 degrees. Next, add in your Chianti, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Continue to cook/stir until it simmers and then turn off your stove. Place the lid on your Dutch oven and put it back in the oven and let it cook for 2.5- 3 hours. Trust the long process. :)

While this cooks, you can prep your mushrooms. In a pan, melt your butter with your oil. Add in your mushrooms. Your mushrooms will soak up the oils. Stir your mushrooms and eventually it will release the oils again . Cook until your mushrooms are a light brown and set to the side.

Once your beef is done, take the pot out of the oven and you will need to drain your liquid in a separate bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Place your meat and veggies back into the pot. You will have between 2 - 2.5 cups of sauce from what you strained. You will want to let it sit a little and then skim off some fat from the top. With your beef and veggies still in the Dutch oven, add your mushrooms into the pot, and pour your sauce into your beef and reduce it down to your liking by boiling it.

Serve with rice or potatoes. Enjoy!