Beef and red wine… yum! These 2 ingredients are very homey to me. My family is from Argentina which is the greatest South American producer of? You guessed it : Wine & Beef! Red meat accompanied by red wine have always been a staple at big family holidays and this french dish combines the 2 perfectly.

Beef Burgundy aka Beef Bourguignon

You’ll need:

• About 4-6 bacon strips diced
• Beef chunks – Any cut you like just be sure to have it cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 small onion, sliced or a cup of pearl onions
• 1 cup of chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (I sometimes omit at request & it still taste great)
• 1 cup of burgundy wine or any robust wine you have on hand (a cab, malbec or beaujolais would work too)
• 3-5  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cold water
• Hot cooked noodles, optional
• Crusty french bread buttered & sliced, optional
• Roasted potatoes, optional

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp then remove to paper towels. In the same pan, brown the beef and drain. Now, place the beef and bacon in your dutch oven (or you could put it in a slow cooker), Add the broth, onion, carrot, butter, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low heat for about 6 hours or until meat is tender. Once the meat is tender and the delicious scent of slow cooked beef is making you drool add mushrooms and wine. In a separate bowl combine flour and water until smooth (you want the consistency of a thin custard). Now gradually stir into the beef. Cover and cook on med-high for about 30 minutes or until thickened.

Serve with noodles, crusty bread, roasted potatoes or all of above.

Enjoy!