The Duchess Of Devonshires Beef Bourguignon Food

THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE'S BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat stewing beef dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown meat on all sides in batches, adding a little more oil if necessary. Remove meat with a slotted spoon as it cooks.
• Add carrot and onion to drippings in the pan and sauté until golden. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add meat and mix well. Stir in wine gradually until flour is blended. Add bouquet garni and heat to boiling. Cover and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is tender, lowering heat to 300 degrees after 1 hour and adding a little water if the liquid is below the level of the meat.
• While beef cooks, heat a small saucepan of water to boiling, add pearl onions and boil for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Snip tops of onions with kitchen scissors, pull back skins and trim them off at roots. Place peeled onions in the same saucepan and add 2 cups water, along with the sugar and butter. Heat to boiling and simmer, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent and tender, the liquid has evaporated and the onions are coated with a caramelized glaze, for about 45 minutes. Set aside.
• While onions cook, cut bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch wide pieces. Fry in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove bacon to a bowl and brown mushrooms on both sides in drippings. Add mushrooms to bacon and set aside.
• When beef is tender, remove bouquet garni and place meat in one bowl and its cooking liquid in another and clean out the pan. If cooking liquid is thin, boil it until it thickens to a coating consistency. Return the stew to the pan and adjust seasoning. Add onions, bacon and mushrooms and pour on liquid. Heat through. Serve with the potatoes or noodles.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning meat halfway through.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, 1/4 cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley.

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.