Beef bourguignon
This is one of those classic French dishes that you can whip up on a Sunday and let the oven do all the hard work. Yes, it uses a whole bottle of wine, but it’s French – what else would you expect?
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 1kg beef cheek (or similar slow cook cut), cut into large cubes
- 200g streaky bacon, thinly sliced
- 350g pearl/pickling onions, peeled, keep them whole
- 250g button mushrooms 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste 750ml bottle red wine (Cabernet Merlot or similar) 1 bay leaf
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 150°C bake.
2. Place a large ovenproof casserole dish on a medium/high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the meat in batches, then remove from the dish and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic, stir and cook for a further two minutes.
4. Return the beef and any resting juices to the dish, add the tomato paste and stir through until coated, then cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the wine and the bay leaf, stir and bring to a boil, then cover and place in the oven for 3 hours.
6. Remove from the oven and check how much liquid remains. If there is still quite a lot, increase the heat to 180°C and pop it back into the oven for 30 minutes.
7. To serve: Serve the bourguignon with lashings of creamy mashed potatoes and crusty French bread.