Beef Stew Recipe: Beef Bourguignon

A classic and popular French dish originating from the Burgundy region of France (Bourgogne in French) and hence the name, Beef Bourguignon is a  beef stew recipe braised in red wine, preferably red wine from Burgundy, although it has been cooked in many different ways using wines from different parts of the world. In this recipe, dry red wine is used to braise the beef, which is cooked in a crock pot for eight to ten hours. It is seasoned with thyme, parsley, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt and flavored with bacon, onions, mushrooms, and garlic to make an exquisitely delicious French healthy dinner dish that almost melts in the mouth. Serve this with some potatoes, crusty bread, salad or a side of green beans for a complete and satisfying healthy meals. Pair it with a bottle of red Burgundy wine for a really grand time.

Originally a peasant dish, Beef Bourguignon has evolved and slowly refined into a haute cuisine that is served in many upscale French restaurants. Because wine was and is abundant in the Burgundy region of France, the people cooked with it a lot and used it to tenderize otherwise tough cuts of meat. Julia Child, who popularized the dish in America, noted in her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” that beef bourguignon was one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.

Ingredients: 1 cup dry red wine, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 large onion, sliced, 1/2 tsp. ground thyme, 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, 2 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, 3 slices bacon, diced, 12 small white onions, 1/2 lb. small mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, combine red wine, olive oil, onions, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and black pepper. Mix well. Add beef. Let beef marinate at least 3 hours (overnight if refrigerated). Drain meat. Reserve marinade. In skillet, over medium-high heat, sauté bacon. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Brown beef in the bacon fat. Combine beef, bacon, onions, mushrooms, garlic and salt in crock pot. Cover with marinade. Cover crock pot and cook on Low Heat for 8-10 hours.

This iconic French dish makes a romantic dinner and an exquisite celebratory meal. The dark and silky sauce and the aromatic smell of the wine and the onions make this something to look forward to on special occasions. For a really delicious dish, use porcini mushrooms, also called cepes in France. While it is okay to use button mushrooms, they don’t have much flavor compared to the earthy and scrumptious cepes. Pinot Noir is typically the kind of wine used to make beef bourguignon in Burgundy and elsewhere.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Beef Stew Recipe: Cup o Java Beef Stew

Leftover coffee can add richness and depth to beef stew recipe and give it a surprisingly savory flavor. Adapted from Kitchen Life by Art Smith, Cup o Java Beef Stew is a rich broth made with red wine, brewed coffee, olive oil, onions, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper. Carrots and parsnips also add flavor, color and texture to the easy healthy recipes stews. If you don’t have beef stock for flavoring your stew, red wine and coffee creates a pleasurable and intense broth that will put life into your healthy dinner meal. Use strongly brewed coffee and a robust red wine like Shiraz or Zinfandel for an unforgettable stew recipe. Make sure that the coffee is not stale, and use fresh brewed as much as possible possible. Once the stew cooks down, you won’t taste the coffee at all.

In this recipe, beef chucks cut into chunks are used to make a delicious stew. Often labeled “pot roast,” this cut of beef is especially favorable for making stew. It is an economical cut of beef coming from the shoulder ad upper foreleg, both of which are well exercised and have lots of connective tissue and sinew. It requires long and slow moist-cooking to break the tissue down and make it melt-in-your mouth tender.

Ingredients: 3 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ in. chunks, Salt, Freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons+ olive oil, 2 medium onions, chopped, 4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced, 2 cups red wine, like Shiraz or Zinfandel, 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 carrots, cut into ¾ in. rounds, 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into ¾ in. rounds, 1/3 cup butter, softened, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation Instructions: 

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil into a Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook in batches, until all sides are browned. Remove the beef with tongs. Add additional oil, if needed. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and coffee. Bring to a boil. Using a spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot for browned bits of meat. Add the meat to the Dutch oven, along with the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 ½ hours. Add the carrots and parsnips and keep cooking until they are tender, about 30 minutes. In a bowl, squash the butter into the flour with the back of a spoon. Whisk 1 cup of the cooking liquid into the butter mixture, creating a paste. Stir this mixture into the Dutch oven. Simmer until stew is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

When buying beef chucks or pot roast for making cup-o-java beef stew, select those with the fewest muscles, which you can determine by the grains and lines of gristle or fat. The fewer the muscles, the more evenly the stew will cook. Some of the best cuts include arm pot roast, chuck eye, and top blade. Choose a beef chuck with thin streaks and good marbling or small specks of fat that run through the meat, which gives it its rich and savory flavor. As it cooks, the fat will melt and baste the meat so it becomes moist and unbelievably tender.

Source: www.gourmandia.com