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Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon or bœuf bourguignon also called beef Burgundy and boeuf à la bourguignonne, is a well known traditional French recipe. It is a stew prepared with beef braised in red wine, traditionally red Burgundy, and beef broth, generally flavoured with garlic, onions and a bouquet garni or individual herbs of choice, with shallots and mushrooms.

Ingredients

1kg stewing steak, cubed (chuck, blade or gravy beef)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
½ large stick celery, diced
10 French shallots, peeled but left whole
200g button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2-3 Tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
100g pancetta or bacon pieces, chopped
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1 sprig fresh thyme (you can also use a fresh or dried bouquet garni instead of individual herbs)
¼ cup plain flour
¾ bottle good red wine
Enough water, beef, chicken or veal stock to cover meat

Toss the meat in the flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
Pour the oil into a large pot or pressure cooker, and heat to high.
Add the meat and brown evenly, moving freequently to prevent sticking.
Once completely browned, remove and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the same pan and add the mirepoix (carrot onions and celery) and cook until they soften (about 5-10 minutes).
Add the Pancetta/bacon, muchrooms and garlic to the vegetables, along with the herbs. Stir through.
Cook until the Pancetta/bacon browns.
Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables, the add the red wine and start scraping the bottom of the pot to distribute and dissolve the flavours back into the braise.
Tip in just enough cold water/stock to cover the meat.
Turn the heat down low, put the lid on and cook for 2½ hours, or place the lid of the pressure cooker on, seal and bring to pressure and cook for ¾ to 1 hour, or place the entire stew into a slow cooker and cook for 8-10hours.