Gaby
The medieval Kingdom of Burgundy was located in what is now the southeastern regions of France and the western cantons of Switzerland. It is believed that the Dukes of Burgundy brought this recipe from Belgium to Provence, Côte-d’Or, and Savoy, but the court chefs adapted it to local tastes: they became accustomed to marinating beef in wine with a fruity flavor from a local variety of black grapes, while the Belgians used beer in their marinade. As a result, this historical dish gained the reputation of being the “most French of meats.” The beef should marinate for at least a day and then be braised for a minimum of two hours.
Ingredients (for 6 servings): beef – 1.5 kg; pork fat (without skin) – 200 g; mushrooms – 400 g; small onions – 20 pcs.; butter – 100 g; olive or other vegetable oil – 30 ml; flour – 20 g; ground black pepper and salt – to taste.
Marinade components: dry red wine made from Pinot Noir grapes – 1 liter; onion – 1 pc.; shallots – 3 pcs.; thyme – 1 sprig; sunflower oil – 20 ml; bay leaf – 1 pc.; ground black pepper – a pinch.
For this dish, choose lean beef, as it will be braised with pork fat. Marinate the meat in glass containers, not aluminum. Cut the beef into pieces the size of a chicken egg, pour in the oil and red wine. Add the chopped onion, minced shallots, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap.
Place the meat in the refrigerator to marinate. After 24 hours, strain the marinade (keeping the ingredients) and pour it into a glass jar.
In a cast-iron skillet, pour in 30 ml of oil and add 60 g of butter. Sear the marinated meat until golden brown. Drain the meat juices into a bowl, add 20 g of butter to the meat, along with the marinade components. Once the butter is absorbed, pour in the meat juices again and sprinkle with flour. Sear the beef, turning it frequently.
In another pot, bring the marinade to a boil and pour it over the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the beef and simmer on low heat for 2.5 hours. An hour before the meat is done, cut the pork fat into cubes and quickly fry it. Remove the fat from the pan and use its drippings to sauté the peeled small onions under a lid.
Sauté the mushrooms in butter (they should be the same size as the small onions). Add the fat, onions, and mushrooms to the meat and simmer for another half hour. Remove the thyme and bay leaf from the dish at the end of cooking. Serve the beef Bourguignon with mashed potatoes.
Life Hack
Instead of shallots, you can use small red onions, which have a similar mild flavor.
