Beef Burgundy

By John, 23 September, 2014
Description

Beef Burgundy, half-cookedThis is the best kind of recipe! It's forgiving when you are in a rush, but you can make it utterly sublime if you have the time to pay attention and use all your best techniques. This is the low-stress version. If you have the techniques and the time, then you'll know what to do.

Beef Burgundy, known in the land of Charlemagne as Boeuf Bourguignonne (or something to that effect) is in the simplest terms a beef stew made with mushrooms, bacon, onions, and red wine. Thyme and black pepper are always a part of that tableau; everything else is optional (even garlic!). 

I expect the inventor of beef burgundy got a Nobel prize. Like the tuxedo, it's one of those 4-star treats that you can't screw up, but with a little imagination you can make superb.

Yield
9 Servings
Preparation time
3 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 lb Beef (eye, top, or bottom round, cut into 2-inch chunks)
1⁄3 lb Bacon (chopped coarsely)
2 c Dry Red Wine
2 c Beef Stock
1 lb mushrooms (quartered or sliced)
1 lb Pearl Onions (frozen are fine)
1 t Thyme
2 t Black Pepper (freshly ground)
7 Juniper Berries
Instructions
  1. In a hot skillet, sear the beef all around.
  2. In a heavy pot, cook the bacon half-way.
  3. Add the wine, the pepper, and the thyme and bring to a simmer.
  4. In another pan, saute the onions until they start to blister and brown. Add the wine and simmer until tender.
  5. Add onions and wine to the pot, along with the stock.
  6. Saute the mushrooms and add them to the pot.
  7. Either simmer on the stovetop or put in a Crock-Pot and cook until done.