Beef Bourguignon

After a summer of grilled meats and vegetable salads, we can't wait for the first cool day of fall so that we can enjoy the heartier stews and roasts of fall and winter. A favorite for many years is beef bourguignon.

My first recipe came from Julia Child and I made her version for many years until I found Ina Garten's. From her Barefoot in Paris book. It's every bit as good as Julia's but a lot simpler.

A pot will make not only a great dinner but several lunches as well. Easy lunches especially where there is a baguette to sop up the juices.
There is only one pot to make beef bourguignon in -- and that's a Le Creuset pot. It doesn't taste the same in any other pot!

This is Ina's recipe and it's a keeper. My only change is that we like the baby carrots and so that is what I use. Like Ina, I love the frozen onions.

And, like Ina, I find that the soup goes very well with the toasted bread in the bottom of the bowl. MUCH better than potatoes or noodles.

As the weather warms, we'll retire the Le Creuset Dutch oven until the weather turns cool again.

Beef Bourguignon
Adapted from Barefoot in Paris

1 T. olive oil
8 oz. bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 pound baby carrots
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup Cognac
750 ml bottle good dry red wine, such as Burgundy
2 - 2 1/2 cups canned beef broth
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. fresh thyme
4 T. butter, at room temperature, divided
3 T. flour
1 pound frozen small whole onions
1 pound mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thickly sliced.

For serving:
Country bread, toasted or grilled
2 garlic clove, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Preheat the oven to 250

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the bacon. Cook on medium for 8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is lightly browned. Remove bacon, leaving drippins in pan, and place on a large plate or platter.

Using a paper towel, dry off the cubes of beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown in the hot pan in a single layer to sear. When brown on all sides, remove and place on the palte with the bacon. Set plate aside.

Toss the carrots and onions with 1 T. salt and 2 t. pepper. Cook in the Dutch oven with the drippings until the onions are lightly browned (1o to 12 min), stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the Cognac and carefully ignite. When alcohol is burned off, return meat, bacon and any drippings to the Dutch oven. Pour in the wine and enough broth to nearly cover the meat. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Place in the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes or until contents are very tender. Remove from the oven and place on cooktop burner.

Mix 2 T. of soft butter with the flour and stir into the Dutch oven. Saute the mushrooms in the rest of the butter (about 10 minutes) and add to the Dutch oven. Bring the stew to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Rub one side of each slice of bread with the garlic.

To serve: spoon the stew over bread and sprinkle with chopped parsley.