One personality flaw that I admit to without any hint of shame is that my eyes are bigger than my tummy (I think I am safe admitting it here). I almost always order more food than I can stomach and therefore doggy-bags are a common occurrence when dining out. I cannot be trusted without a measuring spoon as eye-balling ingredients will always lead to too much salt, spice and all things nice. I am also guilty of going to the supermarket for milk and bread and coming back with an entire trolley full of goodies.
I almost eat an entire meal whilst “taste-testing” whatever is on the stove-top and always get caught red-handed because I am constantly hovering over the pot with a spoon. This is what happened when I was making this delicious Beef Bourguignon. I instantly blamed the recipe for smelling so good that I couldn’t resist the urge. I wasn’t going to blog about this stew because it has been blogged a million times before, but this recipe was out-of-this-world delicious. I also appreciated the fact that it is a short-cut version to the real thing but it is still big in terms flavour.
Beef Bourguignon
Recipe adapted from Meat by Adrian Richardson
1kg beef blade, cut into 2cm cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil
150g smoky bacon, cut into 2cm cubes
100g unsalted butter
10 shallots, chopped
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
200g button mushrooms, halved if they’re large
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 cup dry red wine
1 litre beef stock
5 sprigs fresh thyme, or to taste
2 tablespoons potato starch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
1/ Dry the beef cubes with a paper towels. Season them with salt and pepper
2/ Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is sizzling, brown the beef in batches. Transfer the browned beef to a plate
3/ Add the bacon to the saucepan and fry until it is golden. Transfer to a plate with the beef
4/ Add the butter and when it begins to sizzle, add the shallots. Fry over medium heat until the shallots have softened and begin to colour
5/ Lower the heat, add the onions and carrots. Saute for approx 4 minutes
6/ Add the paprika, wine and stock. Return the beef and bacon back to the pan, increase the heat until the liquid boils, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for approximately 90 minutes
7/ Thicken the sauce by slowly stirring in the potato starch paste. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens
8/ Serve with mashed potatoes and some crusty bread
Tips from cookbookmaniac.com
* Making this recipe was a last minute decision. I rarely ever make my own stocks. For this recipe I used Campbell’s Beef Real Stock – Reduced Salt
* I was really surprised that I could cook something as delicious as this. If I ate this dish at a restaurant I would walk out the happiest customer.
Comments
anh
November 24, 2010 at 8:00 amyummy!! Love a good stew 🙂
john@heneedsfood
November 24, 2010 at 8:02 amI love a good bourguignon. Couldn’t get enough of the stuff when I was last in Paris. Every one of them I had was very different from the last
chocolatesuze
November 24, 2010 at 9:50 amYum this looks great amy! lol i have a habit of stealing bits while cooking too!
OohLookBel
November 24, 2010 at 9:57 amIt looks amazing, you wouldn’t know it’s a ‘short cut’ version.
mademoiselle delicieuse
November 24, 2010 at 2:47 pmBut surely taste-testing is imperative to ensure your final product is scrumptious?!
Good to see you back blogging =)
GourmetGetaways
November 24, 2010 at 8:04 pmYou and I are the one person! Your first paragraph discribes me perfectly!!! I love french country style cooking so I will be trying your Beef Bourguignon, especially since it is such a nice sounding version. Thanks for sharing!
Vivienne
November 24, 2010 at 8:46 pmlove the photos and the short-cut version of bourguignon! i made the julia child version before took me agessss that i didn’t wanna make it again. i think my tummy is bigger than my eyes…id be like…’nooo i cant finish it…thats too much.’ then few mins later, you see me with an empty bowl 😀
angie
November 24, 2010 at 10:01 pmAww I love Beef Bourguignon =) You did a fantastic job there and I don’t blame you for wanting to eat the whole thing before it makes it to the dinner table. I too have eyes bigger than my stomach… and my stomach is tiny compared to my eyes!
Adrian in Food Rehab
November 24, 2010 at 10:36 pmhaha, I can agree with that eyes are also bigger than my tummy! I love eating this dish when dining French, this looks so good.
cityhippyfarmgirl
November 25, 2010 at 8:20 amNothing more satisfying than finishing a meal, and thinking yeah I cooked that, and that was bloody great!
Delicious photos
Rhonda (The Dainty Baker)
November 25, 2010 at 8:31 amLooks like it turned out PERFECt!!! YUM!
betty
November 25, 2010 at 1:59 pmgo short cuts! :O)
i wanted to make this after watching that movie (i forgot what its called now) but i dont eat beef so there’s really no point
gastronomygal
November 26, 2010 at 11:00 amooo ha ha ha – I think most food bloggers could relate to that trait- having eyes bigger than stomach! Looks like a hearty meal.
Lisa
November 26, 2010 at 11:09 amhow delightful! I bet the smoked bacon added a nice flavour 🙂
Conor @ Hold the Beef
November 26, 2010 at 9:50 pmMy eyes are bigger than my belly *should* be but I always seem to keep packing it in there somehow (and then groaning in pain for some time after).
You’ve made beef look tasty to me. Bonus points to you 🙂
pigpigscorner
November 27, 2010 at 1:22 amI have that flaw too, it’s a good thing, no?! =P
grace
November 28, 2010 at 5:34 pmi share your eyes/tummy conundrum, but it’s okay–that’s why they make doggie bags and tupperware. 🙂
great dish–fancy-shmancy and oh-so-good.
Richard Elliot
November 29, 2010 at 2:37 pmI have really fond memories of a Beef Bourguignon I made back in London on a dark winter’s day. It was rich, dark and completely heavenly.
Have you got any of Joanne Harris’ cook books? (The author of Chocolat.) As well as being a fiction writer she’s done a couple of good French cook books.
LimeCake
November 29, 2010 at 9:24 pmMmm I can’t resist a good bourguignon. This looks delish!
Juliana
November 30, 2010 at 8:12 amYummie, this beef dish looks so good…love the flavor of this…perfect for a cold evening dinner 🙂
Susan
November 30, 2010 at 11:19 amThat looks so good. I love a good beef bourguignon and definitely love things that you can just leave to stew. Sounds like a great recipe and much easier than the Julia Childs version!
tigerfish
December 4, 2010 at 3:03 pmTaste-testing is how I cook too! 😛
sweetlife
December 8, 2010 at 2:14 amI can imagine how delish this made your new home smell…oh yum, I recall a tweet for this dish!! lol…a perfect comfort dish,
sweetlife
Wendy @ Obesebaby
December 19, 2010 at 5:12 pmThis recipe looks awsome reminds me of Julia Child, I find blade steak still rough after long hrs. what other part of beef do u suggest?