Beef Bourguignon

Instructions

1. 1
   Marinate the meat: Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes, trimming off fat, skin and connective tissues. Place in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the garlic, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, carrot sticks, cut onion, and red wine. Cover the meat with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. 2

   Start the stew:

   Drain the meat and vegetables in a strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the aromatic garnish, and reserve the strained wine. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat and brown half of the meat with salt and pepper. Then, place contents in a pot or a casserole. 

3. 3

   Add the remaining vegetable oil and repeat the process for the second half of the meat. Remove the browned meat. Add the cut bacon to the sauté pan on medium-high heat and brown the bacon. Add to the beef; keep the pot aside. Sprinkle the flour on the top of the meat; mix well with a wooden spoon until well coated. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. This process is called "singer" and allows the gluten to be cooked while eliminating the flour taste.

4. 4
   Remove the pot from the oven. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. It will allow the tomato paste to "roast," and remove its characteristic bitterness.
5. 5

   Heat the reserved pan and remove any grease from it. When heated, add the red wine from the marinade. Bring to a boil and skim off all impurities with a skimmer or small sieve. This will clarify the wine. Remove the pot from the oven and place it on low heat. Add wine, veal stock, bouquet garni, sliced carrots, and chopped garlic. Stir well, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Wash and quarter the mushrooms, add them to the pot and cook covered for about 1 hour on low heat.

6. 6

   After 1 hour of cooking, place the pot with the lid into the oven and cook for an additional hour. Stir from time to time during the cooking process. In the meantime, soak the pearl onions for 15 minutes in hot water; this will help you to peel them more easily. Peel and keep aside. After 2 hours of cooking, the meat should be tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the pearl onions, stir, cover and bake for 30 more minutes.

7. 7

   When the meat is cooked, remove the bouquet garni, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, and serve the Beef Bourguignon hot.