beef bourguignon

since when did the SF Bay Area become so damn windy? i feel like over the past three-ish years it's slowly become a land of gusty winds and chapped faces. along with the wind is the chill factor. as sunny days turn into wind chilled nights, the cold is inescapable. and when i'm cold, i want warm comfort foods. beef bourguignon is so homey and comforting it hits the spot on those dreary evenings. also, it's really easy and freezes fairly well. so make a big pot of it and save some for another cold night! it's traditionally served with crusty bread but i served it with rice because i'm asian like that. 

beef bourguignon

adapted from this recipe

ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck cut into bitesized pieces

- 3 tbs flour

- 2 tbs oil

- 1 onion, sliced

- 4 strips bacon, chopped 

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 c red wine

- 3/4 c beef stock

- 4 carrots, peeled and quartered

- 4 sprigs of thyme

- 1 bay leaf

- salt & pepper

- 1 tbs flour

directions:

1. in a shallow bowl or dish combine flour, salt and pepper.

2. lightly coat the beef pieces with flour mixture and set aside

3. in a pot over medium high heat, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp and onion is transparent. set aside.

4. in the same pot, brown beef on all sides in two batches

5. add meat back into pot with bacon, onion and garlic. stir together.

6. add wine, beef stock, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, salt & pepper to taste. stir together. 

7. cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hrs or until meat is tender and liquid has reduced by at least half

8. with a slotted spoon, take out all of the solid ingredients and place in a large bowl to the side. also, remove bay leaf and thyme stems.

9. in a small bowl mix 1 tbs flour with water until smooth and milky

10. add flour water to remaining liquids in pot. stir and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency. 

11. pour sauce over meat in bowl.

12. serve with crusty bread (traditionally)