200g (3 rashers) middle bacon, trimmed and roughly chopped
1kg stewing beef, e.g. chuck, blade, topside
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into large chunks
2 sticks celery, sliced into large chunks
1 leek, washed, halved and sliced
10 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
1 x 750ml bottle red wine
300g button mushrooms
5 French shallots, peeled and halved
80g cold Western Star Unsalted Butter, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley, extra for serving
Method
Heat oil in a large, deep casserole dish with a lid. Add bacon and gently saute until crisp and fat has rendered, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside
Cut the beef into large chunks and pat dry with paper towel. Turn heat to high and brown half the beef in bacon juices, taking care to brown the beef well on all sides. Remove and brown remaining beef
Add all beef back to the pan with flour, toss over high heat for 2-3 minutes until browned
Tie herbs together securely with kitchen string and add to pan along with bacon, carrots, celery and leek. Pour over red wine, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat
Bring to a very gentle simmer cover and cook over the lowest possible heat for 3 hours, stirring occasionally
Saute mushrooms and shallots in half the butter until browned and glossy, add to beef bourguignon and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes. Remove stew from heat and stir in remaining cold butter, until melted and sauce is silky
Serve Beef Bourguignon sprinkled with parsley and on top of creamy mashed potatoes
Tips & Hints
Beef Bourguignon takes a little time to cook but is definitely worth the effort! Often it is better eaten a day later.
Alternatively the Beef Bourguignon can transferred to slow cooker from Step 3, or cooked in an ovenproof casserole for 3-4 hours.
