Beef Bourguignon: Easy and Delicious!

 Beef Bourguignon:  Easy and Delicious!

Ok, so it’s not exactly the time to be jolly.  Illness is sweeping the globe. You’re stuck in your house. The house is already so clean you can’t stand it.  The clothes are washed and folded and refolded.

But, hey, the wine cabinet is full, n’est pas?  That alone is cause to put on some soft music and think naughty thoughts.  OH, already done that?  You’re way ahead of me!  My apologies for interrupting….  

But, just in case, here’s some unwanted, necessary advice?  Pour yourself some vin de chez vous, suga, put on some soft music, light a few candles, and let’s make some stuck-in-the-house French comfort food.  Before we start, better pour yourself another.  I suggest red, but hey, who am I to spoil a good party?

I promise this recipe is a delicious way to go through a bottle or two of jolly good red on your way to whoopee-land.

And by the way, why is Beef Bourguignon called that?  The dish originated in the French province of Burgundy or in French: Bourgogne.

Easy, Delicious Beef Bourguignon (Biscuit recipe follows)

Note: I changed the traditional recipe to simplify and match what I had on hand.

3 pounds beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes

Salt, pepper

Enough flour to lightly dust the meat (I used rice flour, but any flour will do)

1 Cup or more of red wine

3-4 Cups beef broth

3 Potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into chunks

1 Big handful of baby carrots (or large carrots cut into chunks)

1 Stalk celery, cut into bite sized pieces.

Thin sliced green onions for garnish and to lend a fresh taste

3-4 Tablespoons Canola Oil, or another oil that can stand up to high heat

Rice as an accompaniment 

Biscuits also as an accompaniment

Oven to 300ºF or 150ºC

Before you start on the beef, make the biscuits (recipe below).

Put the beef, salt and pepper in a large bowl and dust with the flour.

Using a large Dutch oven, with a lid, put oil in the pan and turn on the heat.  Before the oil starts to smoke, cook the meat a batch at a time, to just brown.  Don’t cook all the juice out!

Put all the meat back on the heat and pour in the wine, scrapping the bottom to deglaze the pan.

With the pan deglazed, pour in the beef broth, add the vegetables and put the lid on the pan.  Pop it in the pre-heated oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is very tender.

Remove the pan from the oven and put it back on the stovetop to simmer, and reduce the liquid to a medium thick gravy. 

Serve over rice, garnished with thin sliced green onions.

I also served mine with biscuits.  Here’s the recipe:

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2012/01/mastering-ubiquitous-biscuit.html

And for dessert?  Cheery  Cherry Pie, naturally.  You’re thinking, Cherry Pie?  Really?  Yes, brothers and sisters, in times of ubiquitous illness, others may turn to chicken noodle soup, but I turn to cherry pie. Hasn’t failed me yet.

Now, let’s have another glass of your excellent wine!  Or maybe a Spanish brandy?