Black Garlic Beef Bourguignon

One Pan and a Two for One Black Garlic Beef Bourguignon is so SO good.  Black garlic adds an incredible sweetness and richness and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it.

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon really is an INCREDIBLE family meal.  Yes: it does take some more time that other stews but trust me, it’s worth the wait, time and effort.  Serve with mash, buttered rice or potatoes.  I basically prep ingredients whilst I’m browning the other ingredients so you can prep and start cooking together - saves loads of time and then it’s all hands off simmering time to make the magic happen.  Apart from how divine it is, it’s also good for your body. Using a rich bone broth helps with plenty in and out of your body.  If you’re into working out and sports, bone broth supports better joint protection and mobility.  It also reduces inflammation in the body so it’s great for recovery.  And the best part is it supports immunity because it’s got healing compounds such as collagen and glutamine which all support immunity.  It’s got calcium for your bones, and minerals like iron and magnesium that help your gut and we all know happy gut, happy body.  There’s a reason why our grannies always want us to have chicken soup when we’re ill - it’s gut healing, immunity and strength boosting.  You’ve also got carrots in there for a dose of beta carotene for immunity and eyesight and mushrooms for vitamin D, a double whammy for bone health and immunity.

In terms of prep, here is what I do.  So if I’m browning the pancetta, I prep the beef.  By the time that’s done, I brown the mushrooms and prep the beef.  See what I do there?  Saves loads of time.  The you just nee about 10 minutes to get it going and the rest is all hands off time.

In terms of ingredients, I use high quality grass fed meat.  I’d rather eat less meat but eat better quality because it’s a better source of protein,  it’s got more omega 3s and lots more vitamins and minerals.  Plus the energy is also so much better than the factory farmed animals that are treated terribly which is definitely something I do not support. The type of stock you use is also important, always opt for something low in sodium - there’s so many on the supermarket shelves that are loaded with salt and that amount of sodium is just pure ghastly.If you don’t want to opt for a gluten free option, add 1 tablespoon of flour when you add the carrots and onions.  I used a veal stock but regular beef is great and if you want to do a veggie version, use lentils, skip the pancetta and use veg stock.  It’s comforting and heartwarming too.

Leftovers are great, the flavour develops the next day and it’s even more tastier but if you want to change it up, shred the meat, make some jacket potatoes and slit them in half.  Top with the stew, sprinkle with cheese and bake till the cheese has melted.  You can even use it as a filling for pie or add a little more stock and turn it into a soup and enjoy with bread OR if you’re feeling fancy, pour into a ramekin, top with a slice of crusty baguette and some gruyere and bake (it’s got that French onion soup vibe.  You feel me?) Lots of options for leftovers so you get 2 different meals :)

Here’s what you’ll need

Serves: 2 - 4 | Prep: 30 mins | Cooking: 3 hours

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

75g pancetta / veal or regular bacon

500g chuck steak, cut into 2in cubes

1 packet mushrooms, quartered

10 - 12 pearl onions, peeled

1 small white onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 black garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 cups of beef / veal stock

1 beef / mushroom stock cube

1 cup red wine, preferably a full bodied wine

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon herbs d’province

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon arrowroot / corn flour mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water

Salt & black pepper to taste

Chopped parsley

Step One: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven, Cook the bacon on medium low till it’s browned and released some of its fat.  Transfer to a plate.  Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the beef and mix.  Increase the heat to medium high and sear the beef, browning it on all sides.  Transfer to the plate.  Add mushrooms and cook till browned, add onions and brown for a further 5 - 7 minutes.  Transfer to a plate

Step Two: Add 1 tablespoon butter and add chopped white onions, carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add black and regular garlic for a further minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook down for a further 3 - 5 minutes.  Add beef, pancetta, stock, wine and herbs bringing to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a low heat so it’s barely simmering and cover.  Cook for at least an hour or two - the longer the better.

Step Three: Add the mushrooms, onions and arrowroot mixture.  Increase the heat till the sauce thickens.  Garnish with fresh parsley, salt & black pepper and serve with buttered rice or mash and some greens.