Boeuf Bourguignon

I hope most of you caught our Facebook note about going MIA and the upcoming sporadic spring schedule of the CWW team. Between a thesis, traveling, and work events, we're a little bit swamped. Not to mention a few other top-secret endeavors going on behind the scenes that are not consumable for blog-readers (yet)! So bear with us as we work our way through April and May, with an upcoming hiatus in May/June as we spend three weeks traveling in South Africa!! We're getting really excited for our short-term study abroad trip and I'm quite proud of all the work Will has put into planning and organizing it with his professor. At this point, I'm just ready to fly over there and enjoy all that hard work!




As you'd expect, despite being busy, Will's been cranking out some new dishes in our kitchen. Though we must admit, we've been heavily relying on some old favorites to get us through these chaotic weeks. This particular recipe is actually from February (how is it April already?!?!) when it was still appropriate to make warm dishes for cold nights. Go ahead and flag it for next year. Either way, this is a fabulous "classic" recipe to keep in your repertoire and is really an impressive dish to make for a hot date. Will made this for weeknight dinners when I was busy with rehearsals, but the first night he prepared it, I was not the date he shared it with. Instead, our friend Ian got to have a special date night with Will, show and classic home-cooked meal and all. I was a bit jealous, not going to lie. If you're feeling up to a challenge (and have some patience), give this a whirl!

Cooking Notes: Will did not use yellow carrots as suggested, but just normal organic carrots. He also skipped out on the celery, because who cares about that? This recipe can be made in the slow cooker, but Will chose the oven method. Click the link below to learn more!

Boeuf Bourguignon (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 6)
8 oz. thick-cut bacon, diced
2 1/2 - 3 lbs. beef chuck roast
S&P
2 cups red wine, divided
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 lb. white button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup beef broth
Mashed potatoes OR French bread, to serve

Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add the diced bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, to drain. Pour off and save all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Prepare the beef by cubing, then patting dry and sprinkling with S&P. When the bacon fat is shimmering and there's a wisp of smoke, add a single layer of beef cubes to sear in the pan. Do not crowd the pan and sear in batches. Let the beef sear without moving it until it releases easily from the pan and is golden-brown (about 1-3 minutes). Flip and sear on the other side, allowing to sear for another 1-3 minutes.

Once the first batch is complete, transfer to a Dutch oven, then deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of the wine. Scrape the dark glaze and any crispy bits from the bottom as the wine simmers. Once clean, pour the wine over the seared meat in the bowl. Add 1 tbsp of leftover bacon grease back to the pan, then continue to sear the meat in batches, deglazing between each batch.

When all the meat is done searing, add 1 tbsp bacon grease to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions with a few cranks of sea salt until they're soft and browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the carrots and cook until soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste, cooking until fragrant. Transfer the veggies to the Dutch oven, with the meat. Wipe the pan clean and warm 1 tbsp bacon grease over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with a few cranks of sea salt, until all their liquid is released and evaporated and the mushrooms have become golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl, reserving for later.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle ~1 tsp salt over the meat/veggie mixture. Tuck the thyme sprigs and bay leaf into the mixture. Pour the stock and remaining wine, but not completely covering the beef/veggies - they should still be sticking from the surface. Place the lid on and stick in the oven, cooking for 2 hours. Begin checking the meat every 15 minutes - the dish is done when the meat easily falls apart with a fork. Once done, stir in the bacon and mushrooms, simmering over medium heat until mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes or pasta. Enjoy!

Recipe: The Kitchn: Boeuf Bourguignon