Boeuf Bourguignon

Sweden has been quite cold and rainy this week. I'm not complaining - in fact, I vastly prefer this to hot sunny days! I'm spending most of my time curled up with my baby in a big armchair anyway, so the weather isn't very important. However, cold weather also means that I'm not much in the mood for salads for dinner every day. This rich stew is perfect - it's easy to make, and it's actually best made a day or two ahead. Just make the garnish right before serving, and it'll be completely delicious.

Boeuf Bourguignon
(printable recipe)
Serves 6-8

1 kg beef - a cut suitable for stewing
100 g smokey bacon, in thin slices
2 carrots, in smaller pieces
100 g whole tiny yellow onions
125 g mushrooms, in smaller pieces
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bottle of red wine - pick a good one!
salt, pepper
pinch of sugar
dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Garnish:
100 g smokey bacon
100 g whole tiny yellow onions
100 g mushrooms, whole or cut in half

Fry the bacon for the stew in a big pot on medium heat. It should melt slightly. Add the onions, carrots and mushrooms and let it fry for a few minutes.

Cut the beef into large dice. In a separate pan, brown the beef in the cooking oil, and add to the pot. Stir in the garlic, add the red wine and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of dried thyme, and two bay leaves. Let the pot simmer for an hour or two, or until your meat is really tender. At this point, you can let the stew rest for a day or two, or you can go ahead and make the garnish.

For the garnish, cut the bacon into small dice, and fry until crispy. Add the onions and mushrooms for a few minutes, and then before serving, add everything to the pot.

Recipe in Swedish:
Boeuf Bourguignon