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Boeuf Bourgouignonne
1/2 lb bacon, coarsely chopped 2 lbs steak, chopped into 2cm cubes 1 lb onions (pearl for traditionalists, coarsely chopped if not) 4 carrots, chopped to 2 cm sections 1 lb small mushrooms, whole 3 cloves chopped garlic 1 1/2 cups beef stock 1 bottle dry French Burgundy 1/2 cup Cognac 2 bay leaves flour, butter, salt, pepper
Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Remove bacon from oven, leaving grease. Coat beef cubes with ~1/3 cup flour in large bowl. Make sure that all the flour is attached to the beef! Salt and pepper well. Split beef into three batches. Saute each batch in bacon grease until brown, roughly 3 minutes per batch. Add up to 1/2 stick butter if more fat needed. Remove beef cubes to plate. Reduce heat, add onions and carrots to pan and saute gently until onions are almost tender. When onions are almost tender, add garlic and saute for one minute further. Remove vegetables and place in bowl with beef. Add 1 cup stock and cognac to pan. Increase heat again and boil, scraping browned bits from pan into solution. Reduce to ~1/2 cup. Add meat, vegetables, mushrooms, bay leaves, remaining stock, meat juices and red wine to pan. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour, until meat is very tender. Remove bay leaves. Serve with fresh, crusty French bread.
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