When Cape winter settles in one’s thoughts turn to delicious red wine casseroles and of course red wine. One brand we have been drinking quite a lot of, well priced quaffers , just the thing to throw down with no conscience are those from Brandvlei Cellars in Wellington. This great recipe used a bottle of their Merlot/Cab Sav blend and we drank a bottle with it and one while it cooked—it was 3 hours after all!!! Try it–real easy to do and MOST satisfying.
Gordon Ramsay’s Beef bourguignon Recipe
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs, 15 mins
Skill level: Easy
Servings: Serves 4
This sumptuous, step-by-step recipe for slow-cooked stew from Gordon Ramsay produces a great winter supper
Ingredients
3 tsp duck fat or butter
600g shin beef, cut into large chunks
200g smoked streaky bacon, sliced
350g shallots or pearl onions, peeled or 2 large onions peeled and quartered
250g chestnut mushrooms (one punnet)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bouquet garni
1 tbsp tomato purée
750ml bottle good red wine (used Merlot/ Cabernet blend)
Directions:
- Heat a large casserole pan and add 1 tbsp duck fat or butter. Season the beef and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, adding more fat as appropriate. Do this in 2-3 batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned.
- In the same pan, fry the bacon, shallots/ onions, mushrooms, garlic and bouquet garni until lightly browned. Mix in the tomato purée and cook for a couple of mins, stirring the mixture until the tomato paste starts to caramelize. This enriches the bourguignon and produces a great base for your stew. Then return the beef as well as any drained juices to your pan and stir through.
- Pour on the wine and approximately 100ml water, till the meat floats in the liquid, but isn’t completely covered. Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan – this will give the stew more flavour.
- Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Cover the casserole with foil. Make sure that it covers the top of the stew and trim away any excess foil. Then cook for 3 hrs. If the sauce looks watery, get rid of the beef and veg with a slotted spoon, and place aside. Cook the sauce on the stove on medium high heat till it has thickened somewhat, then return the beef and vegetables to the pan.
- Serve with mash or polenta and vegetables if you feel like it (I served it with fancy carrots).