1/Ok so let’s do Beef Bourguinion, cash in my promise. This is the finished product served over simple mashed potatoes, garnished with parsley. Directions….
2/what you need. About 3.5 lbs of Chuck roast, cut into chunks and tossed with a tbsp of salt. 2 carrots, 2 onions roughly chopped, handful of thyme and parsley. A head of garlic cloves smashed. Tbsp of tomato paste, 1/2 tsp anchovy paste. 1 lb cremini mushrooms. 2 cups pearl onions
3/you also need half a pound of salt pork cut into chunks. Place those in a roasting pan with the scraps of beef you don’t intend to use. Add in 2 tbsp butter, and roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. Then toss in 1/2 cup of flour and mix.
4/now add in about 2/3 bottle of red wine (if you have nice Burgundy great, I used a $12 bottle of California Pinot), 4 cups of beef stock. Parsley, onion, thyme, carrots, garlic. 1 tsp black peppercorns. 2 packets of gelatin. And your tomato/anchovy paste. Put this in oven at a reduced heat of 325 for 4 hours, mixing occasionally and checking how tender the beef is - when it’s very tender you’re done.
5/meanwhile do your mushrooms and pearl onions. What I do is use a saucier pan (curved sides make mixing easy) and add all my mushrooms (large creminis I quartered) with a little water. Put over medium heat till the mushrooms are cooked through and have released all moisture. Then I add the onions with 1 tbsp butter, about 1 tsp of chopped thyme and a splash of red wine. When liquid is absorbed and vegetables are glazed, pull and set aside.
6/when your meat is done cooking, pull it and set aside with mushrooms and pearl onions. Then strain the liquid. Add it to a Dutch oven with the other 1/3 bottle of wine and boil down for a good 25 minutes. Till it’s thick and sticks to a spoon.
7/ add in beef and mushrooms. Stir and add some chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper till you get the right flavor profile. Then let it cool and refrigerate overnight. This allows the flavors to coalesce, and excess fat rises and you can get rid of it the next day.
8/ this sounds harder and more time consuming than it is. Basically you spend about 1.5-2 hrs on your feet. The rest of it is slow braising in the oven. It’s very rich, something to serve to guests. I make it twice a year in fall/winter months.
9/addendum - I also used 3 small bay leaves. You add those with the wine/stock and other vegetables.
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