Happy New Year, friends! I hope your holidays were wonderful. Ours certainly were, as we traveled back to North Dakota and were able to spend time with much of our family. The older I get the more I cherish this time. Things returned to normal this week with the kids going back to school. I love the holiday season, and letting it go can be a little bit hard for me. And so it goes.
We came back to a much colder and whiter Minnesota than the one we left. In fact, the day we departed for ND, I was hustling about taking the recycling out with bare feet and wasn’t a bit bothered by it. Wow, things have since changed. We’re back to normal January weather with all of it’s wind chill glory (that’s sarcasm, folks). So, you can guess that I have warm comforting food on my mind. Forget the New Year health fanatics with their cold smoothies and cold salads. This girl needs warmth. Don’t fret though, this is definitely health food– full of grass-fed beef and hearty vegetables.
This beef bourguignon has been a favorite in our house for years and I’m only now getting around to sharing it with you. The shame! You’ll love it. It’s simple and full of earthy flavor. Of course, there is a fair amount of red wine in it that works it’s magic with the beef. Remember the homemade beef broth I posted somewhat recently? You’ll definitely want to use that in this recipe. And as for the wine, there is no need to spend a lot of money on a bottle. A basic table wine will suffice, something somewhat dry. Something you’ll enjoy sipping on while you cook or when you eat, there will be a bit leftover. As always, buy good quality grass-fed beef. As with most stews, this one gets even better the next day, but chances are you won’t have any leftovers. It’s delicious. Hope you enjoy!
The Recipe: Beef Bourguignon
(serves 4 or so)
olive oil
About 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 pounds of grass-fed beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 white onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart homemade beef broth or purchased
2 cups dry red wine (table wine works well here)
2 cups water
1 large sprig fresh rosemary, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
6 large carrots, peeled and cubed
7 medium yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons room temperature butter mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour can be substituted)
12 ounces frozen green peas
12-15 frozen pearl onions
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed kettle, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper over the beef and add half of it to the hot pan. Do not move it– let a nice dark golden color develop before flipping it over to brown the other sides. Remove the caramelized meat from the pan and add the second batch, adding more olive oil if necessary. When the second batch is done, remove that as well.
Add the diced onion and garlic to the hot pan. Add a splash of beef broth if there are some darkened pieces that need some attention. There is so much flavor in those pieces! Continue to cook and stir for a couple of minutes until the onion is somewhat softened, adding more broth if necessary.
Return the meat to the pan and add the remaining beef broth, red wine, water, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Add a bit of salt and pepper, too. Bring to a near boil, then reduce the heat to a small simmer for about 2 hours.
When the beef is tender, add the potatoes and carrots to the pan and increase the heat to medium. When the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, about 20-25 minutes, add the flour/butter mixture. This will thicken the stew ever so slightly. Gently, stir it in well. Then add the peas and pearl onions and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Don’t be scared to add more salt. Serve with chopped fresh parsley. Buttered crusty bread is a must with this meal. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by Relishing It!
Laurie
Relishing It 