BEEF BOURGUIGNON. Two

Now Sheila as always assumed to call her version the “original and the best”. Her ego was truly boosted when a French friend of Ginette’s came for dinner and “proclaimed” that Sheila’s bœuf bourguignon was the best he had ever eaten.
So it was “wooden spoons at dawn,” when I decided to prepare it. I followed a recipe from Daniel Galmiche
The Verdict. See for yourself
 
INGREDIENTS

800 g beef brisket, cut into large cubes

1 bottle of a full-bodied red wine

2 thyme sprigs

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons Cognac

100 ml sunflower oil

2 tablespoons plain flour

600 ml  veal stock or Chicken Stock

1 bouquet garni made with 1 parsley sprig, 1 thyme sprig and 1 small bay leaf, tied together with kitchen string

2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and cut into chunks

12 silverskin onions

100 g small button mushrooms

100 g pancetta, diced

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

In a deep dish, mix together the beef, wine, thyme, garlic and Cognac. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Drain the meat into a bowl, using a colander, and reserve the marinade.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan or cast iron pot over a medium heat. Add the meat and cook for 20 minutes until brown, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the stock and reserved marinade and bring to the boil. Skim the foam off the surface and add the bouquet garni, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. By that time you should have a rich, silky sauce.

About 50 minutes before the end of the cooking time, heat another medium saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the oil over a medium-low heat. Add the carrots and onions and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and pale gold in colour, then add to the meat saucepan.

When the beef is almost ready, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and pancetta and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, then add them to the beef. Check the seasoning adjusting the salt and pepper, if necessary, throw in the parsley and stir gently without breaking the delicate pieces of beef.

Serve hot with creamed mashed potatoes for a perfect winter warmer.

 

Original recipe Daniel Galmiche French Brasserie

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