Boeuf Bourguignon

Here's one of my favorite recipes from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris. I've shared it before. It can be made fairly quickly and definitely tastes gourmet.

Boeuf Bourguignon (that is, Burgundy Beef Stew)

1 T olive oil
8 oz diced bacon
2 1/2 lbs stew meat, cubed
salt & pepper
1 lb carrots, cut into 1 inch cube
s2 onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c brandy or cognac (optional)
1 bottle (750 ml) of red wine--or less and replace with beef broth
1 can of beef broth--or more to replace red wine
1 t fresh thyme or 1/4 t dried thyme
1 T tomato paste
4 T butter, divided
3 T flour1 lb frozen pearl onions
1 lb sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 250.

Cook the bacon in the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Salt and pepper meat. Then, sear the meat in remaining oils. Remove to plate with bacon.

Saute 1 T salt, 2 t pepper, carrots and onion for 10 min over med heat in remaining oils. Add garlic and saute one more min.

Now here's the part I change. She says to put 1/2 c brandy in and stand back and light a match to burn off the alcohol. Instead, I use 1/4 c and I turn up the heat to high for a few minutes, stirring often.

Return the bacon and meat to the pot. Add the wine, broth, thyme, and tomato paste (the liquids should nearly cover the meat.)

Cover and put in oven for 1 1/4 hours.

Remove from oven. Mash 2 T butter with flour and add to stew. Add pearl onions. Simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in remaining 2 T of butter for about 10 min. Then add to stew. Heat to desired warmth.

Serve with French bread...of course!

Now here's the trick to making it quickly...Dice your bacon (or buy it that way). While it cooks, salt & pepper your meat and prepare your vegetables. Then by the time your veggies are chopped it is about time to put them in. While the veggies cook, measure your wine, broth, etc., and add. The whole process should take no longer than 30 min. During the last 15 minutes of bake time, prepare your flour mixture and mushrooms. Add them and the onions and just heat for a few minutes and you're ready to serve. Hands on time: total 45 minutes--not bad, for how good this really is!