An easy to prepare, and very flavorful dish. There are a variety of ways to prepare, I consolidated my favorite ideas from a bunch of different recipes. Note, timings are really approximate. You can start this dish in the morning, and cook it for 8 hours if you like, as long as you keep the temp low, and don’t let the sauce turn into paste.

Changed a few things up in 2023 to make it easier and or better.

Ingredients:

  • 2-4 Pounds beef roast (whatever’s lean, cheaper, or on sale). Other ingredients based on 4lbs
  • 2 Slices bacon
  • 2 Cups pearl onions (frozen is easier)
  • 4-6 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 Carrots, roughly sliced (2-inch slices)
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2-1lb sliced mushrooms
  • 4 ounces Bourbon (cognac preferred)
  • 1 Bottle of strong red wine. Burgundy, zin, cab, petite syrah. Always use wine you would drink
  • 16 Oz (1/2 quart) beef (or chicken) broth
  • 4 Tbsp flour (optional)
  • 2 sprigs fresh Thyme (or dry)
  • 2 sprigs fresh Sage (or dry)
  • Two Bay leaves
  • Salt & Pepper

Directions

  • Cut beef into 2 inch cubes, season liberally on all sides with salt and pepper, allow to warm to room temperature
  • Cut Bacon into 3 inch pieces, brown in a cast iron dutch oven on the stovetop
  • Remove bacon pieces
  • Optionally, beef coat cubes in flour (helps them get a nice crust). This is optional, you’’ll still get great flavor, with less carbs if you skip this step
  • Add beef cubes in batches to brown in bacon fat. Don’t overfill the pan, leave space between the pieces of beef, remove to a plate when brown
  • Brown all the beef, and set aside
  • If all the bacon fat has been absorbed, add a little Butter or Olive Oil replace it
  • Add pearl onions to pot, cook for a couple minutes until translucent
  • When onions are translucent, toss in garlic, cook for a minute, but be careful not to over-brown the garlic
  • Set vegetables aside, melt a tablespoon of butter in pan
  • Add sliced mushrooms, saute until brown, set aside with veggies
  • Add Bourbon, deglaze pot
  • Add 1/2 the wine and 1/2 the beef broth, bring to a simmer
  • Add back all the sauteed veggies and beef
  • Add remaining wine and broth until beef is just covered in liquid
  • If you’re using fresh herbs, tie them together for easy removal later, and put in pot. Or, add dried herbs
  • Bring to simmer
  • Every 15 minutes or so, give the ingredients a stir to prevent burning
  • After an hour of simmering, add the carrots, and cover the pot
  • Move to an oven set at 300°, cook for 2-3 hours (or more, if you want to, just gets better as it cooks)
  • If you don’t have an oven free, you can cook on the cooktop as well, but just stir every 30 minutes to prevent sticking/burning
  • An hour before you want to serve, remove cover to let sauce reduce and thicken
  • At this point, you can serve immediately, or put aside and re-heat later. The flavors just get richer the longer it cooks.
  • If you like, serve with a starch like potatoes or over pasta. I like a corkscrew pasta, cooked al-dente, serve in a bowl tossed with a small amount of butter, add Beef. Garnish with some of the reserved bacon, crumbled over the top!
  • This can also be served on its own, and/or with some veggies.

2023-11-12 11:54:43 -0800 PST