BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON WITH HEARTSHAPED CROUTONS

Boeuf a la Bourguignon with Heartshaped Croutons image

Provided by Food Network

Time 11h40m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 27

Ingredients

3 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned broth
1/4 cup Marc de Bourgogne or good-quality brandy
1 large onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 peppercorns
12 parsley stems
4 whole cloves
4 allspice berries
1 bay leaf
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/4 pound slab bacon (rind removed and reserved) sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick, crosswise into pieces 1/2inch wide
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound pearl onions
4 tablespoon butter
Pinch of sugar
1 pound button mushrooms
Beurre Manie (equal parts flour and softened butter, mixed together, about 1 tablespoon each)
6 slices firm white bread, crusts removed, cut into heart shapes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Steps:

In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered, overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately; pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 275/F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often, until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels to drain.
In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3 hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole.
Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions, shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken sauce.
Make croutons: Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown. Dip edges of bread in Bourguignon sauce and then in parsley.
To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes and garnish with croutons.