Beef Bourguignon

I broke in my new cast-iron dutch oven today.  I figured a classic french dish was just the thing to do it.  This hearty, beef stew-like dinner has a lot of steps, but that doesn't translate into being hard. Take your time.  Follow the steps and success is pretty much guaranteed.  But it IS French, and it's incredibly rich.

Here's what you'll need:
6 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
2-3 lbs lean beef roast, cut into 2" cubes
4-5 small carrots, cut in half
1/2 onion, root end in-tact
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP flour
3 c red wine
2-3 c beef stock
1 TBSP tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP butter
8 oz baby portabella mushrooms
2 TBSP fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 450.

Saute the bacon in the olive oil in the dutch oven until crispy.

Remove the bacon; drain on a paper towel.

Reheat the oil and grease in the pan.  Add about half of the beef cubes.

This step is not about cooking the beef.  This is to develop some crust and coloring on the meat. When the meat is browned, remove to paper towels.

Repeat this step with the remaining beef.

Add the carrots and half onion to the pot, again just getting some color on the vegetables.  This adds an unbelievable depth of flavor.

When the vegetables are caramelized, remove them to paper towels.  Discard the remaining oil from the pot.

Put the beef and bacon back into the hot pot.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and flour.  Place the pot in the oven.  Cook at 450 for 4 minutes.

Stir the beef and cook another 4 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 325.

Stir the wine and enough beef stock to cover the meat into the dutch oven.  Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots.

Cover; put the pot into the 325 oven and bake until the meat is fork-tender, 3-4 hours.

When the meat is cooked, remove from the oven.  The sauce with be pretty thick.

Drain the meat combo over a bowl.  Return the sauce to the pot; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the sauce has reduced by about half.

Remove the onion, sticks from the thyme and the bay leaf from the meat.  Place the meat and carrots in a dish; cover.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter in a small skillet, until pretty crispy.

Layer them over the meat and carrots.

Top with the reduced wine sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.  We just ate it with crusty, well-buttered bread.  If you're going to go French, you might as well go all the way.

Serves 4-5.

Enjoy!