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If you've ever wanted to have a Julia Child moment in the kitchen, now it the time. Seize it with this beef bourguignon recipe! Serves six – eight helpings. Mushrooms are optional, but encouraged.

Things You Will Need:

• 6-8 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

• 4 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels

• Salt (Optional)

• 10-12 shallots, chopped, about 2 cups

• 2 large, peeled carrots, 1 chopped, 1 cut into 2-inch chunks

• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms (optional)

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1/2 cup brandy, plus 2 Tbsp

• 1 bottle Pinot Noir, or other red wine

• Beef Stock (low sodium), at least 1 cup, quite easily more

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 4 whole cloves

• 24 pearl onions, fresh or frozen

• 1 lb fresh shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms

• Beurre manie: 3 Tbsp flour blended with 2 Tbsp butter

How To Prepare:

1. Rehydrate mushrooms and chop coarsely, if you decide to use them. Don't forget to get them nice and clean!
2. Cook your salt pork in a little jacuzzi of hot water until all liquid has evaporated. One this happens, bring the temp down to medium low and cooked until you can render no more. Then add butter making them nice and crispy, because everything tastes better with butter. Transfer the pork to a Dutch oven.
3. In the same sauté pan you used to cook the salt pork, sear the beef on all sides, then transfer to Dutch oven as well.
4. In the same sauté pan you used to sear the beef, add shallots, chopped carrot and prepped mushrooms. After 2-3 minutes you can add the garlic and tomato paste. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes frequently.
5. Cheers! Add Brandy to the sauté pan and boil down to half of the volume, then add to Dutch oven.
6. Invite some more wine, along with beef stock, enough to almost cover the beef.  Add your seasonings; parsley, bay leaves, thyme and cloves. Cover and let simmer. After about an hour you can add another carrot, just for good measure. Then cook for another hour.
7. Once the beef is cooked to your liking, remove, along with the carrots, and set aside.
8. Grab everything remaining inside the Dutch oven and run through a fine-meshed sieve over a pot. Keep the liquid and get rid of the rest. It's time to get saucy! Keep reducing until you've reached desired saltiness. Reduce to medium and incorporate beurre manie. Do it a little at a time, and don't let it boil. Think a gentle simmer. Then add a splash of Brandy for good measure.
9. In a separate pan, saute pearl onions in three tablespoons of butter, then set aside.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Note: If you're not into the whole hullaballoo of blanching and peeling pearl onions, you can just grab a bag in the freezer section at Trader Joes. Thank you TJ for making life a little easier!

Article Source: Simply Recipes