Yesterday afternoon, as my students exited the classroom, their anticipation seemed nearly as high as the night before Christmas. “Maestra, hay escuela mañana?” (Teacher, do we have school tomorrow?) They would inquire, one after the other, the possibility of snow looming on the horizon.
Here in Austin, snow days are a rare, yet celebrated occasion and when there is a chance of any kind of weather (other than hot) well, truth be told, we get a little excited. But who can really blame us? Changes in the weather are exciting. They are obvious reminders of the dynamic, awe-inspiring world we live in. And perhaps it’s a little overzealous to cancel school for an entire day when there is hardly an inch of snow on the ground, but hey, I wouldn’t be writing this post (in my pajamas) if it weren’t for the weather. Let’s be grateful for snow days that inspire hearty, cold-weather recipes like this simplified, heart-warming, soul-lifting Boeuf Bourguignon.
Every weekend, when my husband and I meal plan, we brainstorm delicious recipes that are feasible for weeknights. Back when I had a little more time on my hands (aka college), I used to think “simple” recipes meant spaghetti and store-bought marinara or breakfast-for-dinner. Now, as a working woman, I need simple, but I never want to compromise the flavor or creativity of my cooking. And I have a feeling many of you desire the same thing.
This Boeuf Bourguignon recipe is a simplified version of Julia Child’s classic, yet it maintains the gourmet element and is still every bit as tasty. There is a little prep work involved on the front end, but I think the steps I’ve chosen to include are essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of this timeless dish. I guarantee you will be making this more than once!
Bon appetit!
- 1 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 pounds chuck beef, cut into 1 or 2 inch cubes
- sea salt
- pepper
- 5 large carrots, sliced into ¼" diagonal pieces
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 leek, light green and white part only, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups good, dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (I use sun-dried tomato paste in a tube)
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
- ¼ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup frozen pearl onions. thawed
- a few Tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
- To thicken, if needed:
- 1 Tablespoon butter + 2 Tablespoons flour + about ¼- 1/2 cup broth
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place in slow cooker. Meanwhile, cut up the beef and generously salt and pepper all pieces on all sides. Crank up the heat to medium-high and sear the meat in bacon grease, working in batches if necessary, and place in the slow cooker along with bacon.
- Add carrots, onion and leek to the now-empty pan and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté about 2 more minutes, then pour in wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Next, add beef broth, tomato paste and thyme leaves; stir around and bring to a light simmer. Carefully pour or ladle the vegetable/broth/wine mixture to the slow cooker over the meat. Allow this to cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 2-3)*.
- About 30 minutes before serving, in a medium skillet, saute thawed pearl onions in a little butter until browned (about 4 minutes), add in the mushrooms and continue to cook over medium high heat until soft (about 10 minutes).
- If you notice the stew is not as thick as you'd like, make a quick thickener by heating 1 Tablespoon of butter, whisking in flour and broth until smooth.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty bread. Enjoy!
- *You can do steps 1-2 ahead of time and place the ceramic (interior) part of the slow cooker in the refrigerator until you are ready to slow cook. Will keep up to 2 days in refrigerator before slow cooking.