Le Boeuf Bourguignon

Before you start

• Marinate the beef overnight.

  In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the beef chunks, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems, and peppercorns. Pour the entire bottle of red wine over the top to submerge the meat, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. This silent secret deeply tenderizes the meat from the inside out.

• Separate and thoroughly dry the meat.

  Place a colander over a large pot to strain the marinade, keeping all of the wine liquid. Separate the beef from the vegetables and pat the meat completely dry with paper towels; if the beef goes into the hot pan wet, it will steam instead of triggering the Maillard reaction.

Ingredients

• beef chuck roast3 lb
• dry red wine750 ml
• carrots2 large
• yellow onion1 large
• garlic4 med
• fresh thyme sprigs3 med
• dried bay leaf1 med
• parsley stems1 tbsp
• whole black peppercorns10 med
• thick-cut smoked bacon6 oz
• all-purpose flour3 tbsp
• tomato paste1 tbsp
• unsalted beef stock2 cup
• frozen pearl onions10 oz
• cremini mushrooms1 lb
• unsalted butter2 tbsp
• 70% dark chocolate1/2 oz
• fresh parsley2 tbsp

Method

1. 01

   Render the bacon fat.

   Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a heavy Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy and golden, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the rendered fat in the pot.

2. 02

   Sear the beef in batches.

   Turn the heat to medium-high and sear the dried beef chunks in the smoking bacon fat until a dark, caramelized crust forms on all sides, then set the beef aside with the bacon.

3. 03

   Sweat the vegetables and toast the flour.

   Lower the heat to medium, add the strained marinated vegetables to the pot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Return the beef and bacon to the pot, sprinkle evenly with the flour, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until the flour smells nutty and toasted.

4. 04

   Braise the stew in the oven.

   Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the reserved wine marinade and enough beef stock to just barely cover the meat. Bring to a simmer on the stove, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then cover and transfer to the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat yields with zero resistance.

5. 05

   Sauté the garniture separately.

   While the beef braises, melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms until deeply browned, then set aside. In the same skillet, gently warm and lightly caramelize the thawed pearl onions.

6. 06

   Rest overnight and reheat.

   For the best weeknight dinner, let the stew cool and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to eat on Tuesday or Wednesday, skim the solidified fat off the top and gently reheat the stew on the stove over medium-low heat.

7. 07

   Finish with the grandmotherly secret.

   Once the stew is simmering hot, gently fold in the cooked mushrooms and pearl onions. Stir in the square of dark chocolate until melted, watching the sauce turn impossibly glossy and rich, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

• Choose the right cut of meat.

  Pre-cut generic stewing beef is often cut from lean rounds and will turn chalky and dry during a long braise. Always buy a well-marbled chuck roast and cut it yourself; the collagen will melt down into gelatin, providing that melt-in-the-mouth texture.

• The magic of singer.

  Dusting the meat with flour and toasting it in the hot pan is a classic French technique called singer. It cooks out the raw flour taste and acts as a slow-release thickening agent, building a perfectly thick, velvety sauce without needing a clumpy roux at the end.

• Keep the garniture separate.

  Boiling mushrooms and pearl onions in the stew for three hours turns them into flavorless mush. Cooking them separately and folding them in at the very end preserves their distinct textures and earthy flavors.