Title: Boeuf bourguignonne
 Categories: France, Beef/veal, Ham/pork
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      3 lb Beef round or rump, 1" dice
           Flour
      4 tb Olive oil
    1/2 c  Butter
    3/4 c  Salt pork, fine dice
           Salt
           Pepper
      4 tb Warmed cognac
      2    Carrots
      1    Leek
      4    Shallots
      1 lg Yellow onion
      1    Clove garlic
    1/2    Bottle burgundy (or more)
      1    Stalk celery
           Bouquet garni consisting of:
      1    Sprig thyme
      1    Bay leaf
      1    Sprig parsley
      2 tb Approx, flour
      2 tb Approx, butter
     12 sm Boiling onions
           Sugar
      4 tb Burgundy
     12    Mushroom caps
      1 tb Olive oil
           Lemon juice
           Minced parsley for garnish
 
                               -MIKE'S KITCHEN-
  
  The tremendous success of this Beef Burgundy depends primaily on three
  things: The cut of meat used; The long, slow baking time; The quality
  of wine used. The meat needs to be extremely lean and durable enough
  to last through several hours of baking. Round or rump is perfect for
  the purpose. The long baking time at low temperature brings out the
  wonderful richness of the dish. Finally, the choice of wine. To put
  it bluntly, a cheap, bad, or wrongly chosen wine will ruin the dish.
  Bordeaux wines, though they have the right quality, are too delicate
  to add the richness the dish needs. White wines (other than a white
  burgundy) are too thin. The best wine is a full, rich French
  burgundy, or its California counterpart. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a
  great choice. So is a white burgundy, if the desired result is a less
  intense wine flavor. In any event, there are many good French and
  California burgundies that would work very well, without costing an
  arm and a leg. Just don't use a two dollar bottle of wine, unless you
  want a two dollar beef burgundy.
  
  Heat 4T olive oil and 1/2 c butter in a large skillet. Dredge the
  meat in flour to coat, and brown in the skillet. Flame with the
  warmed cognac. When the flames have gone out, place the meat in an
  oven proof pot. Use a slotted spoon.
        Saute the diced salt pork until very crisp. Put in the pot with
  the meat.
        Mince the large onion and the garlic. Slice the carrots, leeks,
  and shallots. Add all to the skillet and saute until tender and
  browned. Place in the baking pot with the meats. Add salt and fresh
  ground pepper. Finally, add enough burgundy to completely immerse the
  ingredients, making sure to reserve enough wine to later on cook the
  boiling onions (about 4T for six servings). Cover pot and bake in
  oven 1 1/2 - 2 hours at 260 to 300 degrees.
        At the end of the baking time, skim off any fat; Then, add
  about 2T butter and 2T flour. Add the flour slowly to prevent
  lumping. Continue baking for about 2 hours longer.
        One hour before the dish is done:
        Saute until almost tender the boiling onions, in about 1T
  butter, with a few pinches of sugar and the remaining 4T or so of the
  wine. Reserve and keep warm.
        Saute til lightly browned the mushroom caps in the remaining 1T
  butter, 1T olive oil, and a little lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon for 6
  servings). Reserve and keep warm.
        Final assembly: About 1/2 hour before the beef burgundy is done,
  gently stir in the boiling onions and the mushroom caps, along with
  their collected juices. When the dish is done, garnish with the
  minced parsley.
        Wonderful with garlic bread and more of the burgundy used in the
  recipe.
  
  File