I come to you with no answers. Only Beef Bourguignon.

Ennui has inflicted itself upon me. She feels like a persistent lump in my throat I can’t quite swallow - or maybe I’m just getting sick. There is a good deal of stress in the United States right now - from the horrifying fires in Los Angeles to the looming inauguration of the evil orange man this Monday - and it’s only January.
If you’re looking for a way to give back to LA and have a fantastic meal this Sunday - I highly recommend grabbing tickets to Chef Magdalena’s 4 course dinner at Casetta. You’ll eat well for a great cause.

Ok so.
I’m here to give you a recipe. Obviously this is not a cure all for depression or ailments or even a bad case of ‘the blues’ - which is how I’m rebranding my seasonal affective disorder - but the hours of (easy) labor and care this beef bourguignon required of me was a nice temporary antidote to The Doom. And listen - I’m not doing well - last night I came home from work and almost immediately fell asleep with a plate holding a half eaten piece of buttered toast (dinner) directly on my stomach - with Grey’s Anatomy playing on my laptop. Yes. The sound of Snow Patrol and Meredith Grey’s lowkey irritating voiceover lulled me to sleep mid toast dinner. I never expected to be a ‘Grey’s Fan’ but here I am - three seasons in and wondering..should I have gone to med school? Blood and guts and cutting things open and…hot people in scrubs? Too bad I got a strong ‘C’ in high school chemistry.

How’s that for a recipe opener?

Anyway. A few nights ago, when ennui was getting the best of me, I paired this beef bourguignon with Anora (really is Uncut Gems for hot girls) and a fat joint. I highly recommend you do the same.

If you have questions about the recipe - please shoot me an email bc I’m writing all of this from memory.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
FOR 2 (OR 1 WITH LEFTOVERS.. OR EVEN 3 IF YOU’RE IN A CONFUSING THROUPLE SITUATION)

WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2lbs chuck roast or beef shoulder - cubed
- 2 large carrots (cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 1 spanish onion (diced)
- 4 celery stalks (chopped)
- herb bundle: sage, thyme, rosemary, tied up with some string
- 1 bay leaf ….what the hell sure
- 1 bottle of dry red wine (go for a cab or merlot - cheap is a ok here)
- beef stock (as needed - I’d say 1-2 cups)
- garlic (around 4-5 whole cloves, peeled)
- 3 tbsp flour
- about a1/4 bar of dark chocolate - not totally necessary, but it absolutely adds to the final product
- 1 bag of PEAL ONIONS, peeled, whole. *these are almost impossible to find in NYC for some reason. Eataly has them - but if you can’t find them, peel and cut shallots into big chunks. It’s not the same aesthetically but the flavors will be similar.
- whole button mushrooms (not sure how much this weighs, so let your heart guide you)
- 1/4lb lardons. panchetta or guanciale is ideal here but thick cut bacon works too.
Aaaaand we measure the following with our hearts:
- butter (unsalted)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- sugar (or honey!)

Step 1: Salt your beef and let it marinate in the wine. All of the wine. Throw in your herb bundle too. Let this rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours - overnight.

Step 2: Drain and SAVE your wine. Set herb bundle aside. Pat dry your beef - set this aside too.

Step 3: In a heavy bottom pot over medium heat - Brown your beef. You can add the tiniest bit of oil or butter, then add your beef. We’re not looking for a char here - just a quick stir so all sides of the beef has some color. Don’t overcook this here - I’ve made that mistake.

Step 4: Remove the browned beef and set aside - then add your mirepoix (*carrots celery onion) and your garlic cloves. Stir until onions become nice n translucent (about 5 minutes!). Add *salt and pepper!
*A couple of notes here: you can dice your carrots a bit smaller, but I prefer big chunks of carrot. So before anyone attacks me for referring to my chunky carrots as part of a mirepoix….just please don’t I’m very fragile right now thank you.
*I add a little bit of salt to each step. I promise - it’s what restaurants do.

Step 5: Add the beef back in - along with flour. Give it a good mix. Add the reserved wine, bay leaf, and herb bundle in. Give it a good mix. Add some beef broth (maybe 2 cups) to cover everything.
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and LET HER COOK!! for 2.5 hours.

About 1.5 hours in….

Step 6: Caramelize pearl onions. In a pot on medium low heat, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add your pearl onions. Add a decent pinch of salt, and about 4 tablespoons of sugar (or honey). Brown sugar works best here, but regular ole granulated cane sugar is fine too. Stir it up and cover - I add the tiiiiniest splashes of white wine if it seems a bit dry and adjust heat to low if necessary. You want the onions to maintain their shape but also mostly cook through. This should take about 15-20 minutes (they will finish cooking in the pot ok). Remove and set aside

Step 7: Lardons. Chop em up and add them to the same pot you cooked the onions in. Once the fat is rendered and the lardons crisp up a little, you can remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. Don’t rinse the pot!

Step 8: In the same pot you cooked the onions and lardons in, add your mushrooms. Turn up the heat again - to medium - and toss them in the fat and add salt. Let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Step 9: About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and the chocolate to the beef pot. Stir allllll of that up. Add more salt and pepper. Let cook for 30 more minutes.

Step 10: She’s ready. Taste test - add salt / pepper if necessary. Pile your bowl high with spoonfuls of goodness. Top with your reserved lardons and chives and use a baguette as an edible utensil. Bon app.

Let me know if you make this - and how it turns out. I’m doing this again on Saturday. It’s that good.

xx

Gabrielle