It’s getting much colder here in New York– a sure sign that winter is fast approaching. Today, the grass was covered in a thin coat of frost (le givre) when I woke up–a not-so-pleasant reminder of the supposedly especially cold winter we are facing in the northeast!

When it gets very cold, I tend to prefer making hearty meals, like soups and stews. One of my favorite recipes for colder seasons is boeuf bourguignon, a traditional French recipe that has has great success outside of mainland France (la Métropole). Some English speakers might know of this meal as Beef Burgundy, named after the region in France where it originated as a “peasant meal” hundreds of years ago.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients

3 lbs of stew beef, cut into cubes

6 ounces of bacon, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

20 braised pearl onions (braised)

l lb mushrooms (sauteed)

3 cups red wine

3 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, mashed

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Sautee the bacon (lardons) in butter in a large casserole until brown; remove to a side dish. Next, brown the meat in the same casserole, adding extra butter if needed; remove to a side dish. Next, sauté the carrots. Drain off the butter and add back the bacon and beef into the casserole. Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour, then place the casserole into the oven uncovered for four minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees Farenheit and remove the casserole from the oven. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, wine, and stock to just cover the meat. Place back in the oven until meat is tender, approximately three to four hours.

While preparing the beef, sauté the mushrooms in butter. To braise the onions, add two tablespoons of butter to the pan and brown. Next, pour in 1/2 cup beef stock, season with salt and pepper, and cover. Simmer over low for about forty minutes.

When meat is done, remove meat and vegetables and place in a serving dish. Pour sauce into a saucepan. Heat until it reaches a thick consistency. Place onions and mushrooms over the meat and carrots and pour the thickened sauce over the top. Enjoy!

Bon appétit!