Mountain Style Boeuf Bourguignon

Such a fancy name for a pretty simple dish!  Boeuf Bourguignon is simply beef stewed in red wine.  The traditional approach calls for straining out the vegetables and herbs used to season and cook the meat, leaving only sauce which is used in making the gravy.  The traditional approach also adds a garnish of pearl onions, mushrooms and bacon to the dish.

My Mountain Style Boeuf Bourguignon keeps everything in the pot; waste not, want not!

Lise's Mountain Style Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless beef stew meat, brought to room temperature
olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped into large chunks (I don't peel them, I scrub the skins really well and keep them; good nutrients there!)
1/2 large onion, chopped into large chunks
1 pkg fresh mushrooms (can use canned - forgot to include it in the picture)
garlic cloves (I used minced)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 bottle red wine (good wine, one you would drink)
2 cups of beef stock
1 bay leaf
small palm of finely chopped parsley
small palm of finely chopped thyme
salt & pepper

Directions:
After allowing the meat to reach room temperature (this allows it to cook evenly), place it in your heated up dutch oven (or oven safe pot with a lid) with a little olive oil and brown it on all sides.  Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam.  Remove the cooked pieces, and keep them in a dish that will capture the juices (you want them back in the pot with the meat).

Once all your meat is cooked, add a little more olive oil and put the onion, carrot and mushrooms into the same pot to brown a little.  Make sure you scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan as you do so.  

Once the veggies have begun to brown, add the flour and stir (I forgot to photograph this step) and cook it for about 1 minute.  Then put the meat and juices back into the pot, pour in the beef stock (you will hear a lovely sizzle, make sure you stir it well to incorporate the flour), add the wine and the herbs.  Stir to incorporate everything. 

Place the lid on the pot and place the entire pot into a preheated 325 degree oven.  No peaking, you want all those flavors to stay sealed inside that pot!  Cook for at least 2 hours, though it can go longer.     

When you remove the stew from the oven, you will notice that the sauce has reduced quite a bit, that is what you want, because now it is rich and really flavorful.  Stir the stew, and serve!

This is delicious with a warm loaf of crispy bread!  You can also serve it on a bed of fresh mashed potatoes or rice.  Or you can eat it just like it is!  Try it, I think you'll like it!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise