The famous red wine beef stew.

There’s a reason that Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic in French cuisine. Chunks of beef simmered in a rich red wine sauce that become so tender they fall apart with each mouth full. This is one recipe where you want to take your time cooking it, drinking a glass of wine or two, and enjoying the therapeutic preparation.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg beef

• 400 ml (13.5 fl oz) red wine

• 500 ml (17 fl oz) veal stock

• 1 onion

• 1 carrot

• 1 bouquet garni

FOR THE GARNISH

• 1kg potatoes

• 200 g (7 oz) bacon

• 200 g (7 oz) mushroom

• 10 pearl onions (pickled)

Cooking time: covered in the oven at 200 °C or 392 °F for between 2-2.5 hours until the beef is very tender.

NOTES

• For best results, use a cast iron casserole pan or Dutch oven.

• The recipe tastes even better after cooling down and being warmed up again.

• Serve with a side of boiled potatoes, rice or even just freshly toasted French baguettes slices.

PROCEDURE

1. Start off by preparing your ingredients, including making the bouquet garni if making it from scratch. Preheat your oven at 200 °C or 392 °F.

2. Pour the veal stock and red wine into separate pans and bring them both to boil before turning the heat off.

3. Brown the cubes of meats in oil and turn them over to brown on both sides. When done, remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

4. Place the diced onions and carrots into the same pan and let them ‘sweat’ on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the meat back into the pan and stir well. Sprinkle some flour over the meat.

5. Place the pan in the oven (without a lid) for 5 to 6 minutes to “toast” the flour. Then remove from the oven and place the pan back on the stove.

6. Stir the flour into the meat and pour the veal stock and red wine over the meat.

7. Add the garlic cloves, bouquet garni and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and put it back in the oven at 200 °C or 420 °F for between 2-2.5 hours, stirring from time to time to make sure the sauce does not get too thick. If it does start to thicken too much you can add a little water or wine.

8. While the beef is cooking in the oven you can start to make the garnish. Fry the bacon in a frying pan with a little oil. When the bacon becomes a golden color, remove from the pan and allow to drain on a paper towel set on a dish.

9. Using the same pan, add the mushrooms and pan fry until golden.

10. To caramelize the pickled onions, place them in a cooking pan, cover with water just above the onions. Add two nudges of butter, 20 grams of sugar, cover with a lid and cook on medium to low heat until the water has evaporated and the sugar is caramelised.

11. After 2 hours, remove the stew from the oven. Check the tenderness of the meat by cutting a piece on a chopping board or plate. If the meat doesn’t easily break apart return the stew to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.

12. When you are satisfied with the level of tenderness of the meat, place all the meat pieces into a serving dish and pass the sauce through a sieve into another pan to remove the bits of onion, carrot etc.

13. Add the bacon and mushroom to the filtered sauce and stir well.

14. Pour the sauce over the meat in the serving dish and sprinkle the caramelized onions on top along with some freshly chopped parsley.