Beef Bourguignon

Serves 6
Preparation time overnight (or even 48 hours)
Cooking time 1 to 3 hours (longer in a slow cooker)
Cook this the day before and reheat it, the flavours will be even better.

Ingredients
900g chuck or braising steak, cut into 5cm pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 sticks celery, rough chopped
1 bottle red burgundy wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally (more if you fancy, I do)
4 bay leaves
50g unsalted butter
250g of smoked bacon or pancetta
450g shallots, peeled
2 tbsp plain flour
400g chestnut mushrooms
300ml beef stock (if you've got it, otherwise use a stock cube)
A good glug of brandy (not essential, but helps)
freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
Method

1] Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, garlic and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

2] Place the cubed beef in a large bowl and pour over the wine marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. This is known as a cook marinade.

3] Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Drain the beef from the marinade into a colander over a glass bowl. Reserve the marinade and set aside.

4] Heat 25g butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden and brown. Add the shallots and transfer to a large casserole dish.

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Pat dry the cubes of beef from the marinade mixture using absorbent kitchen paper. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook until brown on all sides (don't crowd the beef in the pan ortherwise it will stream and not fry). Remove the beef and transfer to the casserole dish with the bacon and shallots. Repeat with the remaining beef and add to the casserole dish.

6. Stir in the plain flour and stir quickly. Glug in some of the reserved marinade mixture to deglaze and remove any sediment from the pan. Pour into the casserole dish.

7. Add the remaining marinade mixture and beef stock into the casserole dish.

8. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 3 hours or so, until the beef is very tender.

9. Halfway through cooking, heat the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until brown. Add the brandy and cook for a few minutes.

10. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish, stir and return to the oven the remaining cooking time.

11. Serve with new potatoes, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and purple sprouting broccoli if you can get some.

Notes: Obviously this is great with creamey made mash potato (or Dauphinois)