Beef Bourguignon | How to make Beef Bourguignon

How to make Beef Bourguignon

1. Dry the meat cubes carefully with paper towels or muslin cloth
2. In a casserole/pan, saut the beef until its golden brown in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Remove it to a side dish and set aside.
3. In the same casserole/pan, add some olive oil and saut the carrots and the onions.
4. Return the beef to the casserole. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then add the flour and toss.
5. Stir in the juice, vinegar, stock, tomato paste, halved garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaves.
6. Bring it to simmering point on the stove.
7. Cover the pot and place it on very low heat and simmer for 3 - 4 hours until gravy thickens.
8. While the stew is cooking, prepare shallots and mushrooms. For the shallots : Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying pan and saute the peeled shallots until golden brown. Add some beef stock until they are almost covered and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until almost all the liquid disappears and they are tender but keep their shape. Set aside.
9. Prepare the mushrooms as well: If you are using button mushrooms you need not slice them. Saut them in 2 tablespoons butter. Keep on stirring until theyre nicely brown. Set aside.
10. When meat is tender, put onions and mushrooms over the meat.
11. Skim the fat off. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Skim additional fat if it rises. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If not, boil it until it thickens. If its too thick, stir in some stock to make it lighter.
12. Serve hot.