Recipe 2: Boeuf Bourguignon “Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms”
I was a little nervous about making this recipe as with the time it takes I really didn’t want to mess it up and have to start again. Having previously made a version of Boeuf Bourguignon from a recipe adapted for a crockpot that came out great so I was excited to try from scratch. I started by reading the recipe multiple times I even added time estimates on the recipe so I had an idea of how long each step would take and a total estimated time. (My time estimate was just over 4 hours but my actual time was 5 hours 45 minutes. Sometimes steps take longer than you think.)
Most of the ingredients were easy to find except the bacon with the rind. I finally located some at a small market here in NYC. Most larger grocery stores should have some with the rind – if you don’t see it ask the butcher and they should be able to point you in the right direction.Â
A little thing I noticed when I was drying the meat is that I tried one piece that I had dried and one that I had not and for me they browned the exact same. I think the meat just needs to be lightly patted down, nothing more or it will take you an hour just to dry the meat.Â
The stew was fantastic. Since it is just two of us eating we had plenty of leftovers for another dinner and lunch – which tasted just as good as the first night.