Best Beef Bourguignon Recipes

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
• To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning meat halfway through.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, 1/4 cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Tip 1.6kg braising steak, cut into large chunks, into a large bowl with 3 bay leaves, a small bunch of thyme, 2 bottles cheap red wine and some pepper, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Place a colander over another large bowl and strain the marinated meat, keeping the wine.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, then brown the meat in batches, transferring to a plate once browned. When all the meat is browned, pour a little wine into the now-empty frying pan and bubble to release any caramelised bits from the pan.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole and fry 3 large or 6 normal carrots, cut into large chunks, and 2 roughly chopped onions until they start to colour. Stir in 3 tbsp plain flour for 1 min, then add 1 tbsp tomato purée.
• Add the beef and any juices, the wine from the frying pan and the rest of the wine and herbs. Season and bring to a simmer. Give everything a good stir, then cover.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hrs until the meat is really tender. Cool. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
• To serve, defrost completely overnight in the fridge if frozen, then place on a low heat to warm through.
• Meanwhile, heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and add 300g bacon lardons and 500g peeled pearl onions or small shallots. Sizzle for about 10 mins until the bacon starts to crisp and the onions soften and colour.
• Add 400g halved mushrooms and fry for another 5 mins, then stir everything into the stew and heat for 10 mins more. Serve scattered with chopped parsley.

SLOW COOKER BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Turn the slow cooker to low and heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 mins in batches until browned all over, scooping out each batch with a slotted spoon and transferring the browned meat to a plate.
• Tip the onion, carrot and celery into the pan and fry for 5-10 mins until soft. Add the herbs and flour and cook for another 2 mins. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef, topping up with a splash of water to cover the meat if needed. Simmer on low for 6-8 hrs until the meat is falling apart but still holding its shape.
• About 35 mins before serving, heat the remaining oil in a pan. Fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 mins until caramelised and the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 mins. If you want a thicker gravy, use the reduce function or leave the stew uncovered. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread, if you like.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON I

Steps:

• For marinade: In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• For Bourguignon: Strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and saute for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the bacon and saute until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the skillet and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the skillet to deglaze the skillet, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the onion and carrot from the marinade, along with the additional onion that you've chopped, and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat and bacon, again using a slotted spoon, and return skillet to the heat. Add the flour to the skillet, combining with the oil and stir until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.
• Now add the tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps. Add this to the meat and vegetable mixture. Place entire mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• About 15 minutes before meat is done baking, melt butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. When meat is done, add the mushrooms to the meat mixture, stir well and let sit for about 15 minutes.

BOEUF EN DAUBE - CLASSIC FRENCH BEEF BURGUNDY STEW (BOURGUIGNON)

Steps:

• In a large non-reactive bowl, combine beef, Cognac, cloves, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, sage, thyme, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, orange peel, wine, and mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days, stirring from time to time.
• Bring the meat and vegetables to room temperature. Drain, reserving the marinade.
• Blot the beef and veggies dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 325F/175°C.
• In a large heavy oven proof dish (such as a cast iron dutch oven or Le Creuset), fry the bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to paper towels and reserve.
• Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, add the meat and vegetables to the fat in the pan, and brown them on all sides over medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper as they brown, about 7 minutes per batch.
• Transfer to a platter. Add the marinade to the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-third, about 8 minutes. Skim off the foam from the surface. Add the stock or consomme, and simmer another 8 minutes, until reduced again by one-third. Stir in the pinch of sugar and the tomato paste, (and add the diced tomatoes and green olives now, if using).
• Return the meat, vegetables and reserved bacon to the pot. Cover and bake in the oven until the meat is tender, 2 1/2-3 hours. -OR- alternately, at this stage you can cook in the crock-pot on LOW heat 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH heat 4 to 6 hours.
• Serve with a rustic bread for mopping the juices, along with a green salad and a platter of cheeses.
• Freezes and reheats beautifully. Leftovers will make a lovely Cottage-Shepherd's Pie a la Provencale, see my recipe #355446.

SLOW COOKER BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef stew meat and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Brown beef in batches if necessary, making sure to not overcrowd the pan, otherwise the beef won't brown. Remove browned beef from the skillet and place in the slow cooker.
• Add onion to the skillet. Cook and stir until softened and beginning to take some color, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer onion to the slow cooker.
• Place skillet back on medium-high heat and pour in half of the wine. Bring the wine to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and carefully pour into the slow cooker along with the remaining wine. Add carrots, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• For the marinade: Combine the garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onions and wine in a large bowl or container. Add the beef; cover and let sit in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. (This is a really important step: it makes a huge flavor difference.)
• For the stew: Remove the beef from the marinade. Strain the veggies and bay leaves from the marinade and discard. Reserve 2 cups of the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a large, wide pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and toss with the flour; do not flour the beef until you're ready to brown it. Add the flour-coated beef to the hot pan, but be sure to not crowd the pan; you will need to work in four batches. Brown the meat well on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet.
• After the first two batches, deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of the reserved marinade, scraping up any browned bits. Drain the liquid into a small bowl. Add more olive oil to the pan to coat and cook the remaining two batches of meat. Add the meat to the baking sheet. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup marinade, scraping up any browned bits.
• Add the bacon and cook until it gets brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic and onions, and season with salt. Cook until the mixture starts to soften and becomes very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup marinade and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, 1 minute. Add the beef. Stir to combine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add enough of the beef stock to just cover the surface of the beef. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Cover the pan, bring the liquid to a boil and put in the oven.
• Cook the beef for 2 hours. During the last hour of cooking time, add the potatoes. Cover the pan with the lid and put the stew back in the oven to cook for an additional hour.
• Remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess grease from the surface of the stew. Garnish with the chives and serve with crusty bread to sop up all the sauce.

SLOW-COOKER BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In 7-quart Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil over high heat. Pat beef dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Place beef in Dutch oven, working in batches if necessary as to not overcrowd Dutch oven, and cook 4 to 6 minutes, searing all sides of beef. Transfer to plate.
• Add carrots and onion to Dutch oven, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until onions and carrots are lightly browned and slightly tender, scraping brown bits up from bottom as they cook. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute longer, stirring frequently. Add wine, beef broth and thyme to Dutch oven, and stir until well combined.
• Place broth mixture in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker; add beef and bacon to slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low heat setting about 8 hours or High heat setting 4 to 5 hours or until beef is very tender. Spoon into bowls to serve. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
• Freezer Directions: Make as directed through step 2. Place beef in gallon-size plastic freezer bag. Squeeze out any excess air, and seal. Place broth mixture and bacon in gallon-size plastic freezer bag. Squeeze out any excess air, and seal. Place bags flat to freeze. When ready to cook, thaw bags overnight in refrigerator. Place in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker; cover and cook on Low heat setting about 8 hours or High heat setting 4 to 5 hours or until beef is very tender. Garnish with fresh thyme.

FILET OF BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside on a platter.
• In the same pan, saute the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.
• With a fork mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.
• Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
• Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season, to taste, and serve immediately.

NEXT LEVEL BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• A day or two ahead, cut the meat into large 5cm chunks. Put in a glass bowl with the garlic, star anise, thyme, bay and plenty of seasoning. Mix everything together well.
• Pour the wine into a large saucepan (keep the lid to hand and turn off any extractor fans). Bring to a boil, then, at arms-length, ignite with a long match. Wait for the flames to burn off (there will be quite a few), then boil for 5 mins more. If you don't feel comfortable setting the flames alight, just boil the wine. Pour the wine over the meat, then cover and cool slightly before chilling overnight or for up to 36 hrs.
• Lift the beef out of the marinade and dry on kitchen paper. Heat half the oil in a large casserole. Working in batches, brown the beef for 10 mins, adding more oil if needed (watch out - this will splutter). Once browned, transfer the beef chunks to a plate.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 3. Add a touch more oil to the dish, then tip in the veg and gently brown for 10 mins. Use a wooden spatula to scrape any sticky bits off the bottom. Scatter over the flour and cook for 2 mins, then stir in the tomato purée. Add the meat and any juices from the plate back in, then pour over the marinade with all the aromatics. Bring everything to a simmer and give it a good stir, then cover and place in the oven for 3½-4 hrs, stirring every hour or so until the meat is very tender. You now have a delicious rustic stew that can be served as is, but keep going to take it to the next level.
• Leave the stew to cool, then carefully tip into a sieve or colander set over a bowl. Lift the meat and carrots back into the casserole, then squish everything else in the sieve so that you extract the juices and some of the garlic gets squished through. Simmer this sauce in a pan for 10 mins or until thickened to your liking, then pour over the meat.
• While the meat is braising, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan. Fry the bacon and onions for 15 mins until the bacon is crisp and the onions have softened and browned. Turn the heat up, add the mushrooms and fry until cooked. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the casserole, stir and simmer for a few mins. Scatter over the parsley, then bring the dish to the table and serve with the carb of your choice.

CROCK POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp.
• Remove from pan and drain.
• Add beef cubes to the same pan and brown well.
• Place browned beef cubes in crock pot.
• Add onion slices and carrot slices to skillet.
• Add tomato paste, thyme and minced garlic.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in flour.
• Add broth and mix well.
• Add this mixture to the crock pot over the beef.
• Add bay leaf and pearl onions.
• Crumble cooked bacon and add to crock pot.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
• Saute mushrooms and add to crock pot with wine about 1 hour before serving.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON II

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and ground black pepper. Coat the beef cubes with this mixture.
• Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour this into a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the heat and add the onion, carrots and garlic to it. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until onion is tender. add the wine, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and liquid from the mushrooms. Pour over meat.
• Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove cover, add canned onions and mushroom crowns, and bake for 30 more minutes.

JULIA CHILD'S BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• See above under ingredients (could not fit!!!!! Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Season beef generously with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon oil to pot. In batches, brown beef, 2 to 3 minutes per batch (adding up to 1 tablespoon oil per batch, if needed); transfer to plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add bacon and cook over medium until brown, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
• Return beef to pot; add wine, broth, bay leaf, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer pot to oven; cook 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots and onions and cook until meat is very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more, adding mushrooms 15 minutes before end of cooking. Stir butter into stew and serve topped with parsley, if desired.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON - SLOW COOKER RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large skillet until crips. Remove and drain. Add beef cubes and brown well. Placed browned beef cubes in Crock-Pot. Brown carrot and onion. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in flour. Add broth, mix well, and add to Crock-Pot. Add cooked bacon, thyme, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and pearl onions. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter and add to crock pot with wine about an hour before serving. To thicken gravy: Turn Crock-Pot to high. Cream 1/4 cup flour and 2 tablespoons butter. Roll into pea size balls and drop into Crock-Pot. Bring to boil and let thicken.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving drippings. Brown stew meat in drippings in batches. Remove and keep warm., In the same pan, saute onion and carrot until crisp-tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add wine and broth; stir in bay leaves, tomato paste, thyme, pepper, bacon and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours., In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add pearl onions; boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; peel and set aside. Stir into stew; cook 30 minutes longer., Add mushrooms; cook 30-40 minutes or until beef is tender. Skim fat and discard bay leaves. Stir in chocolate until melted. Serve with mashed potatoes.

BEEF AND BARLEY STEW A LA BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Place beef in a bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss with flour to coat, shaking off excess flour.
• Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a large stock pot, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet.
• Place the floured beef cubes in the still-hot skillet; cook in batches until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer beef to the pot with the bacon. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, celery, chopped onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the pot.
• Remove the skillet from heat. Pour in red wine and cognac. Return the skillet to heat; light the liquid on fire with a long match or lighter to burn off the alcohol. Transfer the liquid to the pot once the flame has died out.
• Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Stir in stewed tomatoes, beef broth, consomme, vinegar, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring stew occasionally, until flavors combine, about 1 hour. Add barley; continue cooking until tender, about 1 hour more.
• Place pearl onions in the previously used skillet with water to cover; boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 inch water in the skillet. Return onions to the skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until water evaporates and onions are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add to the stew; add peas.
• Melt butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add to the stew; remove and discard bay leaves.
• Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add slurry, 1 1/2 teaspoons at a time, to the stew, bringing to a boil after each addition until desired thickness is reached, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish stew with parsley.

SPECIAL OCCASION BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings; drain on paper towels., In batches, brown beef in drippings over medium-high heat; remove from pan. Toss with flour, salt and pepper., In same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat; saute onions, carrots and mushrooms until onions are tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine and stock, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add herbs, bacon and beef; bring to a boil., Transfer to oven; bake, covered, until meat is tender, 2 to 2-1/4 hours. Remove bay leaves., To serve, cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Serve stew with noodles; sprinkle with parsley. Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little stock or broth if necessary.

CLASSIC FRENCH BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and ground black pepper. Coat the beef cubes with this mixture.
• Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour this into a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the heat and add the onion, carrots and garlic to it. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until onion is tender. add the wine, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and liquid from the mushrooms. Pour over meat.
• Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove cover, add canned onions and mushroom crowns, and bake for 30 more minutes.