Boeuf Bourguignon

Being half French I wanted to post a real classic dish and what better dish than bœuf bourguignon? It's tastey, comforting and the beef just melts in your mouth!

Be sure not to scrimp on the wine though! A good bottle of red will truly bring this dish alive and really makes the sauce nice and rich.

This recipe is my very own family recipe so I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

Today I made good ol' mash to go with this but I usually make gratin dauphinois, both go really well with the dish so it's up to you which you choose.

Ingredients:

• 800g cubed braising steak 
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1cm thickness
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced 
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 6 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into chunks
• 3 bay leaves 
• 1 bottle of red wine 
• Salt & pepper 
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of plain flour

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2.

Heat the olive oil in a pan then add the shallots and crushed garlic. Once slightly browned, add the bacon and cook until the bacon starts to brown.

Add the carrots and continue to cook until the carrots soften.

Put the carrot & bacon mixture onto a plate and set aside. If you need to add more oil to the pan then do so, but just a little. Now add the beef and season.

Once the beef has browned, add a tablespoon at a time of flour, stirring each time to ensure it coats the beef.

Add the carrot mixture back to the pan with the beef and mix well. 

Start to add the wine whilst mixing. Add 3/4 of the bottle and add the bay leaves. Bring to the boil.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top up with the rest of the wine and mix then put in the oven. Cook for 3 hours whilst taking out of the oven occasionally to stir.

The bœuf bourguignon is ready once the meat is tender and falls apart easily.

I like to serve this with either mash or gratin dauphinois along with some broccoli.

Bon appétit mes amis...