Beef bourguignon is essentially a beef stew, developed over years and drawing inspiration from Thomas Keller and Julia Child. It's a two-day process requiring overnight marination. The key technique is using muslin to separate meat from vegetables, enabling a perfectly clean gravy without the hassle of trying to pick all the bits of vegetables out.

Day One

The Beef

• Approximately 200g per person (1kg for five people)
• Chuck or short rib preferred; supermarket stewing steak is acceptable
• Cut into 1–2 inch chunks

The Red Wine Reduction

• 1 bottle red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Chianti)
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 2 celery sticks
• 3–4 bay leaves
• 2 good-sized sprigs of thyme
• Olive oil

1. Roughly chop the vegetables; sweat in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium-high heat until the onions colour.
2. Add the bay leaves and thyme; fry for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the wine; bring to the boil.
4. Reduce to a brisk simmer; cook until reduced by half.
5. Strain the liquid into a clean pan; refrigerate the vegetables separately.
6. Combine the meat with the wine reduction in a bowl or bag; refrigerate for 8–16 hours.

Stocks

Beef bourguignon is traditionally made with beef or veal stock. The recommendation here is one-third beef with two-thirds chicken stock.

Day Two

Equipment Needed

• Muslin sheet and string or cotton
• Large frying pan
• Large casserole (oven-safe, heat-appropriate)
• Heat diffuser (optional)

Garnish Ingredients

• 200g smoked streaky bacon, dry cured preferred
• 200g peeled shallots
• 100g baby chestnut mushrooms
• 1–2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• Fresh vegetables (carrots, green beans, broad beans, peas)

Prepare the Garnishes

1. Chop mushrooms into halves or quarters.
2. Chop shallots into similar chunks or leave whole if small.
3. Cut bacon crosswise into ~0.5cm strips.
4. Fry bacon on medium heat until crispy; remove to kitchen paper.
5. Using the bacon fat (add olive oil if needed), fry mushrooms and shallots gently until cooked; set aside.

Drain and Dry the Beef

1. Strain the marinade into the casserole.
2. Let the meat drain for 30 minutes in a sieve, stirring occasionally.
3. Pat the meat dry on paper towels.
4. Add the reserved vegetables to the casserole.

Frying the Beef

1. Spread the meat on a plate; sprinkle with flour; toss to coat evenly.
2. Spread muslin on another plate.
3. Heat the pan until very hot but not smoking; coat with olive oil.
4. Fry the meat in small batches until well browned (don't crowd the pan).
5. Transfer each batch to the muslin-covered plate.

Stewing

1. Loosely tie the beef in the muslin, ensuring the chunks stay contained.
2. Place the muslin bag on the vegetables; pour stock to reach the top of the bag (add water if needed).
3. Bring to the boil; immediately reduce to the lowest simmer; cover.
4. Use a heat diffuser if available.
5. Alternative: Cook in the oven at 160°C (150°C fan) / 325°F / gas mark 3.
6. Cook for approximately 2.5 hours.
7. The beef should be soft but not falling apart.

Finishing

1. Carefully lift the muslin bag onto a deep plate or bowl.
2. Strain the gravy into a clean saucepan; squeeze the muslin for all the liquid.
3. Discard the strained vegetables.
4. Reduce the gravy as needed (consistency of single cream).
5. Remove the meat from the muslin; add to the gravy with any seepage.
6. Submerge the beef chunks; cover until serving.

Final Assembly

1. Cook the fresh vegetables until just done.
2. Combine gravy, freshly cooked vegetables, and beef.
3. Add the mushrooms and shallots (or serve separately).
4. Heat until piping hot.
5. Serve sprinkled with crispy bacon and parsley.
6. Accompany with Dauphinoise potatoes, steamed new potatoes, noodles, or chips.

For a vegetarian or vegan version, consider using plant-based burgers, vegetarian bacon (facon), and vegetable stock.