Beef Bourguignon

This dish originates from the Burgundy region and is a stew prepared with beef braised in red wine and beef broth. It is flavoured with garlic, onions, herbs, pearl onions and mushrooms added towards the end of cooking. Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishes refined into haute cuisine. The method of slowly simmering the beef in wine derived as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way.

Ingredients serve 8

1500 g rump or blade

750 ml red wine

250 g chopped bacon

1 onion chopped (200g)

100 g butter

70 g flour

1 carrot peeled and cut into pieces (170g)

6 white globe onion

300 g button mushrooms, quartered

1 dry bay leaf or 2 fresh

1 tbls fresh thyme leafs

2 tbls finely chopped parsley

Method

Cut the meat in chunks and place in a bowl, blend in the red wine and rest for 4 hours or overnight covered in the fridge. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the bacon and onion. Take the meat out of the bowl, place in the saucepan with the bacon and cook the meat for approx 2 minutes while moving it around in the pot. Blend in the flour and place the rest of ingredients in the pot. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for approx. 40 minutes until meat is tender. Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzle some freshly chopped parsley on top.

Note: For the slow cooker version place the stew from the pot in a slow cooker after bringing it to the boil and cook on high for approx. 4 hours.