Burgundy Beef

Perhaps, Burgundy beef is the main dish of traditional French cuisine that transforms any cut of beef into an incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicacy. The secret of preparation lies in the long simmering of fairly large pieces of meat in dry red wine (ideally, Burgundy) for at least three hours. The taste qualities of the main ingredient are enhanced by the presence of garlic and mushrooms.

Cooking time: 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Caloric content: 145 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Yield: 6 servings.

Cuisine: French.

Ingredients

• beef tenderloin - 700 g,
• white onion - 150 g,
• sweet carrot - 100 g,
• garlic - 4 cloves,
• dry red wine - 300 ml,
• hot water - 150 ml,
• flour - 1 tbsp (with a heaping),
• tomato paste - 1 tbsp,
• salt, sugar - 0.5 tsp each,
• bay leaf - 2 pcs,
• cooked wild mushrooms or raw champignons - 250 g,
• thyme - 0.5 tsp,
• butter for frying - 50 g,
• vegetable oil (refined) for frying - 50 ml.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients for cooking Burgundy beef. You can use any beef - with marbling and membranes. During cooking, all of this will break down thoroughly and will not be felt. If you use young veal instead of beef, the stewing time will be reduced by half. It's best to choose mushrooms of small size, so they can be well distinguished in the finished dish.

2. Cut the meat into fairly large pieces (approximately 5 x 5 centimeters).

3. Prepare cubes (2 x 2 centimeters) of carrot.

4. Cut the onion into the same size.

5. Crush the garlic into a paste by any means.

6. Heat 30 milliliters of vegetable oil and 25 grams of butter in a skillet.

7. Spread the meat evenly across the entire surface, leaving space between the pieces for it to fry over high heat rather than stew. It does not need to be cooked through; you only need to seal in the juices by browning the meat on all sides to a nice crust.

8. Place the cooked pieces on a plate, and put the next batch into the same skillet.

9. Next, without changing the skillet, add the onion and carrot. Fry them over high heat for two minutes.

10. Then reduce the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and warm it slightly.

11. Flavor the vegetables with half of the prepared garlic.

12. Immediately sprinkle in the flour - this is the thickening agent for the future sauce. Quickly spread it all over the skillet.

13. Pour in the wine at once.

14. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to get a thick sauce.

15. Take a pot (must have a thick bottom, otherwise during the long simmering the flour sauce will start to burn) and transfer the meat there.

16. Pour the sauce over it.

17. Add hot water to ensure the meat is covered with liquid, but not above its level.

18. Add the bay leaves, thyme (do not salt yet). Stir everything. Place the pot over low heat and simmer the meat for 3 hours. If the cookware is of good quality, the meat won't even need stirring - nothing will burn.

19. 15-20 minutes before the dish is ready, fry the mushrooms over high heat with the remaining small amount of vegetable oil, so they do not stew but acquire a lovely crust. At the end, reduce the heat and add the butter and garlic.

20. Transfer the mushrooms to the meat. Add salt and sugar. Stir. Check the taste and adjust if necessary. The sauce does not have any alcohol - it has completely evaporated, leaving only the extraordinary taste and aroma of the reduced wine. After a couple of minutes, turn off the heat. Burgundy beef is ready.

The rich, thick, and fragrant gravy has done its job - the Burgundy beef has turned into a stew-like consistency. The incredibly tender meat has acquired a wonderful, incomparable, complex flavor. It intertwines sweet, sour, and spicy notes - it's incredibly delicious; you must try it. Bon appétit!