Jamie Oliver's Beef Bourguignon

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

3 pounds beef cheeks (beef chuck, or stew meat, trimmed and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks)
4 large (12 oz) carrots (peeled and chopped into 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) chunks)
4 stalks (7 oz) celery (chopped into 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) chunks)
4 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
1 medium (8 oz) yellow onion (coarsely chopped)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 fresh bay leaves or 8 dried bay leaves
1 small pinch of ground cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) unsalted butter (plus more if needed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups boiling water
6 slices smoked bacon (cut into strips)
7 ounces shallots (chopped)
14 ounces button mushrooms (halved or quartered)
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Salt

Prep Time45mins
Cook Time300mins
Servings8

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the beef, carrots, celery, garlic, and onion with the mustard, bay leaves, cloves, a generous pinch of black pepper, and the wine. Mix well, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163°C).

Set a colander over a large bowl. Pour the contents of the beef bowl into the colander. Reserve the drained liquid.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Pick out just the beef and pat dry with paper towel, then toss with the flour.

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Working in batches, brown the floured beef all over, turning with tongs and removing to a plate with any crispy bits once browned. Add more butter if the Dutch oven becomes dry.

Tip the vegetables into the Dutch oven, and cook until starting to caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any sticky bits. Return the beef to the Dutch oven, pour over the reserved wine from the marinating liquid and 3 cups (720 ml) of boiling water, then bring to a simmer.

Cover with a scrunched-up sheet of damp parchment paper and transfer to the oven until the beef is beautifully tender, about 4 hours, topping up with splashes of water, if needed.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, combine the sliced bacon, shallots, and mushrooms and cook the mixture until golden, stirring regularly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Toss in the parsley leaves, then pour the contents of the skillet over the bourguignon and season to perfection, tasting and tweaking.