R.O.D.-Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon
Three days of preparation,
one magnificent feast

Hands-on time: about 3 hours over 3 days, mostly on Day Two
Time to table: 3 days
Serves about 8 (WLS servings are about half)

DAY ONE

·                            1 onion, chopped

·                            4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

·                            2 garlic cloves, minced

·                            1 teaspoon dried thyme

·                            2 bay leaves

·                            2 tablespoons olive oil

·                            Salt & pepper to taste

·                            3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast or 4 pounds bone-in beef roast, trimmed well and cut into two-inch pieces (I used stew meat)
                   1 bottle dry red wine

·                            If needed, beef stock, preferably homemade, to cover

DAY TWO

·                            6 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces

·                            2 ounces dark chocolate

·                            2 tablespoons arrowroot (I used corn starch, mixed with water)

DAY THREE

·                            1 tablespoon butter

·                            1/2 cup chopped shallot

·                            6 ounces pearl onions, red or white

·                            3 tablespoons butter

·                            6 ounces small white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved

·                            About 2 cups red wine or beef stock (just enough to half cover)

DAY ONE: MARINATE Combine all the Day One ingredients in a large glass or ceramic container. Cover and refrigerate for 12 – 24 hours.

DAY TWO: BRAISE In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon. Separately, transfer the cooked bacon and the bacon fat to small bowls.

While the bacon cooks, remove the chunks of meat from the marinade and set aside. Strain the vegetables through a colander, saving the wine-broth liquid. Fish out the bay leaves but reserve.

Add a tablespoon or two of the bacon fat to the Dutch oven and heat on medium high until shimmery. Add the vegetables and stir to coat with fat. Coo****il just beginning to soften, set aside.

Add a tablespoon or two of the bacon fat to the Dutch oven. Add meat pieces, just enough to cover the bottom in a single layer; let cook without moving for about 2 minutes a side. Set the cooked meat pieces aside, then repeat the process with remaining meat.

Combine the cooked vegetables, meat, wine-broth liquid and the bay leaves in the Dutch oven and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook for 3 – 4 hours. IMPORTANT: For the first hour or so, check the stew ever 5-10 minutes. Cloudy gunk (that’s a technical term) will accumulate on the top of the liquid, skim it off with a slotted spoon and discard. After awhile, the clear wine-broth liquid will become visible below but keep skimming off the gunk as long as it appears. Once the gunk has disappeared, stir in the chocolate and cooked bacon pieces.

After cooking for 3-4 hours, remove the cover, fish out the bay leaves and increase the heat to a achieve a fast simmer. Once it’s simmering, sprinkle the meat with the arrowroot and stir in. Cook off the liquid, stirring often, until most of the liquid has thickened and the meat is coated with the resulting sauce. Turn off the heat, uncover to let cool, recover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

DAY THREE: FINISH & SERVE About 2 hours before serving, place the Dutch oven in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 200F to gently rewarm.

In a large skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat until just beginning to sizzle. Add the shallots and gently coo****il just soft. Reserve.

HOW TO PEEL PEARL ONIONS Rinse the onions (skins still on) in a colander under running water. Drop into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and place in cold water for 3 minutes. One by one, trim off the root end, then start to trim off the stem end, the tiny bit of onion will pop right out. (I did not do this.....I peeled them the same as I would a larger onion.)

In the same skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons butter on medium heat until just beginning to sizzle. Add the onions and mushroom halves, then the wine or beef stock, just enough to half cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in the shallots. Gently stir this mixture into the meat and return to the oven for another 15 – 30 minutes.

Serve the meat over mashed potatoes or another vegetable puree.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Regular Serving: 416Cal; 21g Tot Fat; 7g Sat Fat; 94mg Cholesterol; 449mg Sodium; 15g Carb; 3g Fiber; 6g Sugar; 30g Protein