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Here's everything you need for this indulgent beef bourguignon. This recipe makes between 6 and 8 servings. The effort will be well worth it when you see the smiles of appreciation on everyone's faces once they take a bite!

Ingredients To Gather:

• 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
• 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

Directions To Follow:

1.  If you are using them, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and allow them to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Pour the soaking water through a paper towel (to remove any dirt or debris) into a bowl and set aside.
2.  In a large sauté pan, pour enough water to cover the bottom by about 1/8 inch. Over medium heat, cook the salt pork in the pan until the water evaporates, stirring occasionally. Once the water is gone, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook the salt pork until much of the fat has rendered out of it. Add a tablespoon of butter and continue to cook the salt pork unti the pieces are browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the salt pork pieces to a large Dutch oven or other large, thick-bottomed, lidded pot.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan, brown the beef. Leaving space around each piece of sizzling meat ensures that it browns and does not steam. Don't move the pieces of beef in the pan until they get a good sear, then turn them so they can get browned on another side. Take your time. This will take 15-25 minutes, depending on how large a sauté pan you have. Once browned, remove the beef from the sauté pan and place in the Dutch oven with the salt pork.
4. When all the beef has browned, add the shallots, the one chopped carrot, and the chopped porcini mushrooms if using. Stir in the pot to remove any browned, stuck-on bits in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and the tomato paste. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add the brandy and stir to combine. Boil down by half, then add the strained mushroom soaking water (if using). Scrape any remaining browned bits off the bottom of the sauté pan and pour the contents of the pan into the Dutch oven.

Some More Step By Step Directions To Follow: 

• Next, add the wine to the Dutch oven, along with enough beef stock to just cover the beef.
• After this, add the parsley, bay leaves, thyme and cloves, and then cover and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer for 1 hour and then add the second carrot, which should be peeled and cut into chunks measuring about 1 or 2 inches.
• Cook for one more hour or until the meat is tender.
• Next, trim the stems off the larger mushrooms and cut each of them into two or three pieces. Leave the small mushrooms intact and then boil the pearl onions in their own skins for 4 or 5 minutes before draining them and submerging them in ice-cold water.
• After this, cut the tips and the root ends off of the onions and then slip off the skins.
• Once the beef is tender, use tongs to remove it and the carrots and the place them all in a bowl. Strain everything from the Dutch oven into a medium pot using a fine-meshed sieve set to make the sauce.
• Boil down the sauce, tasting it frequently, until you have about 3 cups of liquid and then turn off the heat.
• Next, heat a large saute pan over high heat, add the mushrooms, and then dry saute them over high heat until they release their water.
• This should take about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Shake the pan and stir the mushrooms frequently while you're cooking them. After this, add pearl onions and 3 tbsp. of butter and then toss to combine the two.
• Sprinkle salt over the onions and the mushrooms, saute until the onions start to brown and then remove from the heat.
• Next, reduce the heat under the sauce to medium and then add the beurre manie, whisking in one-third of it, waiting until it has incorporated into the sauce and then adding another third and then repeating the process until you've added all of it.
• Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes and then adding the remaining 2 tbsp. of brandy. Taste and add salt if needed. When it's done, use the sauce to coat the beef, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions and then serve.

Finished!

We really like this dish served with potatoes or egg noodles, but it's also great with crusty bread. That's one hearty and lip-smacking meal.

Let Us Know If You Made This Before & How It Turned Out!

Article Source: Simply Recipes