Beefy Wine Stew or Beef Bourguignon
Twenty years ago I fell in love with beef cubes cooked in wine. I can't remember where I saw the recipe probably a cooking magazine. It is definitely not the kind of thing my parents would have cooked. There wasn't wine in the house. Beer? Yes, but wine? Nope.
So it was quite a revelation to me to cook with stuff, let alone drink it. Anyway, this has become my tried and true way to go about cooking the stew. It's not Beef Burgundy because that's actually a thing. I used a Tempranillo in this go round.
Beef in Wine Stew
.25 pound bacon, cut into 1inch pieces
2 pounds beef cut into cubes
kosher salt
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
2 onions
1 shallot
2 carrots
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken broth
thyme
white pepper
In a big cast iron skillet fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, and pour off the fat. Reserve the fat. Toss the diced beef generously in kosher salt. Add 1/3 or 1/2 of it to the skillet to brown. Don't over crowd the pan. Brown on 4 sides best you can. Remove the beef and deglaze the pan with some wine. Scrap the wine and bits into a bowl, save. Cook the remaining meat and deglazing the pan and using a bit of the bacon fat for the next go round. When the meat is cooked, sautee the onions in the skillet. Just after they lose their water, add 1/4 cup of wine. Sautee until it's reduced nearly gone. Reserve the mushrooms separately from the beef and bacon. Add the last bits of bacon grease and onions to the skillet. Cook 8 minutes or so. Add the shallots and carrots. Cook 5 minutes more then add back to the skillet, the meats and the wine deglazing liquid, add thyme and white pepper. Add chicken broth. Most everything should be under liquid, but just.
Place the skillet in a 350 degree oven and cook covered for 2-3 hours. Check that it isn't running dry, add water if needed. Reduce the heat to 275, add the mushrooms and cook for an additional hour. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. Serve over mashed your favorite starch.
So it was quite a revelation to me to cook with stuff, let alone drink it. Anyway, this has become my tried and true way to go about cooking the stew. It's not Beef Burgundy because that's actually a thing. I used a Tempranillo in this go round.
Beef in Wine Stew
.25 pound bacon, cut into 1inch pieces
2 pounds beef cut into cubes
kosher salt
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
2 onions
1 shallot
2 carrots
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken broth
thyme
white pepper
In a big cast iron skillet fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, and pour off the fat. Reserve the fat. Toss the diced beef generously in kosher salt. Add 1/3 or 1/2 of it to the skillet to brown. Don't over crowd the pan. Brown on 4 sides best you can. Remove the beef and deglaze the pan with some wine. Scrap the wine and bits into a bowl, save. Cook the remaining meat and deglazing the pan and using a bit of the bacon fat for the next go round. When the meat is cooked, sautee the onions in the skillet. Just after they lose their water, add 1/4 cup of wine. Sautee until it's reduced nearly gone. Reserve the mushrooms separately from the beef and bacon. Add the last bits of bacon grease and onions to the skillet. Cook 8 minutes or so. Add the shallots and carrots. Cook 5 minutes more then add back to the skillet, the meats and the wine deglazing liquid, add thyme and white pepper. Add chicken broth. Most everything should be under liquid, but just.
Place the skillet in a 350 degree oven and cook covered for 2-3 hours. Check that it isn't running dry, add water if needed. Reduce the heat to 275, add the mushrooms and cook for an additional hour. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. Serve over mashed your favorite starch.