Lions' Plate: Filling French Comfort Stew

By Debra Kate Schafer
Staff Writer

Although winter doesn’t officially start until Dec. 21, as soon as people start writing December on the top of their notebook or catch a glimpse of it on their lock screen, they are dead set in winter mode. Puffy jackets, snow boots, holiday films, and comfort food are a go once midnight strikes on Dec. 1. For many, winter brings Christmas cookies and morning cups of tea. For others, it is steaming bowls of homemade stew that kick off the cold weather.

Beef bourguignon has always been subject to criticism, as it brought on too many leftovers for one person and/or required a slow cooker. It is actually a relatively effortless dish, composed mostly of cutting vegetables, slicing meat, and letting things simmer for hours or days on end. Daunting? This recipe proves that beef bourguignon is anything but! (And who wouldn’t want days of delicious, easily reheatable meals at their leisure?)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 8 slices of bacon
• 2 pounds of angus beef (Cubed)
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (Sifted)
• 1 large onion (Sliced)
• 4 carrots (Peeled and sliced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (Minced)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of flour (Sifted)
• 12 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 of a cup of parsley (Chopped)
• 4 cups of beef broth
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 16 ounces of pearl onions
• 10 white button mushrooms (Sliced)
• 2 cups of egg noodles
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Over medium heat, warm a large Dutch oven and drizzle olive oil.
3. Add the bacon and cook for 10 minutes, until crispy.
4. Lift bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon to remove excess oil. Place on a plate lined with paper towels.
5. While the bacon is in the Dutch oven, place your beef cubes in a bowl and toss with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and your cornstarch.
6. Place beef into the Dutch oven in a single layer and brown on both sides, about two minutes per side.
7. Remove browned beef cubes and place in a separate bowl.
8. Add carrots and onions to the Dutch oven along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute until translucent, which will take about 10 minutes.
9. Slowly stir in garlic until evenly distributed, then add tomato paste and flour for 30 seconds.
10. Add beef broth, thyme, and your bay leaf.
11. Add the cooked beef and bacon to the Dutch oven and stir everything together.
12. Place your filled Dutch oven in the preheated oven for 90 minutes.
13. Ten minutes before you're ready to serve, melt butter in a large saute pan and add mushrooms and pearl onions.
14. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Saute 7-8 minutes until caramelized.
15. Also in the last 10 minutes, boil unsalted water for your egg noodles. Cook until al dente.
16. Remove your beef bourguignon from the oven. Stir it slowly 3-4 times.
17. Top over the egg noodles with a garnish of chopped parsley.