Rick Stein Beef Bourguignon Food

RICK STEIN'S RHôNE MARINERS' STEW WITH ANCHOïADE

Steps:

• Mix the onions, meat, herbs, garlic, oil, zest and wine in a bowl. Season with white pepper and leave to marinate for 24 hours. The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C. Pour everything into a flameproof casserole dish, bring to a simmer on the hob, then transfer the dish to the oven for 4 hours. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then refrigerate. The following day, preheat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C. Add the stock and lardons to the stew and bring it to a simmer on the hob as before. Put the dish in the oven and cook for a further 2 hours. The tomatoes can be cooked at the same time. Chop the parsley with the garlic very finely, then mix with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the top third off the top of each tomato (reserve the tops for a sauce or stock) and spoon over the parsley mixture. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and cook for 1½ hours. For the anchoïade, put the garlic in a pestle and mortar and pound it to a paste, or use a food processor. Add the anchovies and pound again to combine. Add half the soft butter and mix again, then add the remaining butter and continue to blend. Add the mustard and mix well. Serve the stew with the tomatoes, pommes purée (page 239 of Rick Stein's Secret France) and a bowl of anchoïade so everyone can help themselves.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
• To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

NEXT LEVEL BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Whisk the stock and all but 2 tbsp of the soured cream together. Set aside.
• Generously season the steaks. Heat half the butter in a frying pan until sizzling, then cook the steaks for 8 mins, turning them every minute or so, until golden brown on each side. Remove and set aside.
• Heat the rest of the butter in the steak pan, tip in the shallots and cook for about 5 mins or until starting to caramelise. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins or until golden. Stir in the garlic and paprika along with a pinch of porcini powder and continue to cook for 1 min.
• Add the vinegar and leave to simmer for 1 min. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and pour in the creamy stock, stirring everything together until hot but not simmering, then taste for seasoning and add most of the parsley and the mustard.
• Pour in any juices from the steak, before carving it into thick slices and adding to the pan. To serve, top with the remaining soured cream, then scatter with the remaining parsley, a pinch of paprika and porcini powder, if using.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Tip 1.6kg braising steak, cut into large chunks, into a large bowl with 3 bay leaves, a small bunch of thyme, 2 bottles cheap red wine and some pepper, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Place a colander over another large bowl and strain the marinated meat, keeping the wine.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, then brown the meat in batches, transferring to a plate once browned. When all the meat is browned, pour a little wine into the now-empty frying pan and bubble to release any caramelised bits from the pan.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole and fry 3 large or 6 normal carrots, cut into large chunks, and 2 roughly chopped onions until they start to colour. Stir in 3 tbsp plain flour for 1 min, then add 1 tbsp tomato purée.
• Add the beef and any juices, the wine from the frying pan and the rest of the wine and herbs. Season and bring to a simmer. Give everything a good stir, then cover.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hrs until the meat is really tender. Cool. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
• To serve, defrost completely overnight in the fridge if frozen, then place on a low heat to warm through.
• Meanwhile, heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and add 300g bacon lardons and 500g peeled pearl onions or small shallots. Sizzle for about 10 mins until the bacon starts to crisp and the onions soften and colour.
• Add 400g halved mushrooms and fry for another 5 mins, then stir everything into the stew and heat for 10 mins more. Serve scattered with chopped parsley.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Add as many pieces of beef to the pan as will fit without crowding.
• Brown on all sides on fairly high heat.
• Add more oil if needed.
• Repeat until all beef cubes are browned; transfer meat to a sprayed oven-proof casserole.
• Add onions and carrot to the skillet, and brown briefly; transfer to the oven-proof casserole.
• Set casserole over heat.
• Add wine, stock, bay leaf, thyme, orange peel, tomato, tomato paste, and garlic.
• Bring to a simmer, taste, and salt if necessary.
• Take off the stove, cover, and bake at 325F for 2-3 hours, checking for tenderness.
• THE ONIONS: to peel easily, drop onions into a saucepan of boiling water, bring back to a boil, and boil 1 min.
• drain, and drop in cold water.
• trim ends off, and slip skins off.
• MUSHROOMS: Trim, clean and slice mushrooms; saute briefly in 2 tbs.
• butter.
• Finishing the stew: When meat is tender, combine flour and water in a jar and shake until smooth.
• Stir into stew, until blended and add mushrooms and onions.
• Cover and bake another 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
• I serve this over noodles for an elegant holiday entree.

NEXT LEVEL BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• A day or two ahead, cut the meat into large 5cm chunks. Put in a glass bowl with the garlic, star anise, thyme, bay and plenty of seasoning. Mix everything together well.
• Pour the wine into a large saucepan (keep the lid to hand and turn off any extractor fans). Bring to a boil, then, at arms-length, ignite with a long match. Wait for the flames to burn off (there will be quite a few), then boil for 5 mins more. If you don't feel comfortable setting the flames alight, just boil the wine. Pour the wine over the meat, then cover and cool slightly before chilling overnight or for up to 36 hrs.
• Lift the beef out of the marinade and dry on kitchen paper. Heat half the oil in a large casserole. Working in batches, brown the beef for 10 mins, adding more oil if needed (watch out - this will splutter). Once browned, transfer the beef chunks to a plate.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 3. Add a touch more oil to the dish, then tip in the veg and gently brown for 10 mins. Use a wooden spatula to scrape any sticky bits off the bottom. Scatter over the flour and cook for 2 mins, then stir in the tomato purée. Add the meat and any juices from the plate back in, then pour over the marinade with all the aromatics. Bring everything to a simmer and give it a good stir, then cover and place in the oven for 3½-4 hrs, stirring every hour or so until the meat is very tender. You now have a delicious rustic stew that can be served as is, but keep going to take it to the next level.
• Leave the stew to cool, then carefully tip into a sieve or colander set over a bowl. Lift the meat and carrots back into the casserole, then squish everything else in the sieve so that you extract the juices and some of the garlic gets squished through. Simmer this sauce in a pan for 10 mins or until thickened to your liking, then pour over the meat.
• While the meat is braising, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan. Fry the bacon and onions for 15 mins until the bacon is crisp and the onions have softened and browned. Turn the heat up, add the mushrooms and fry until cooked. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the casserole, stir and simmer for a few mins. Scatter over the parsley, then bring the dish to the table and serve with the carb of your choice.