Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ kg beef from the undercut or rump
• 1 ½ bottles of red wine
• n. B. vegetable broth, possibly
• 9 cl cognac
• 3 cloves garlic
• 150 g bacon, streaky
• 3 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
• 300 g mushrooms
• 9 m.-large carrot(s)
• 6 bay leaves
• 9 juniper berries
• 6 cloves
• 120 g clarified butter
• 4 ½ tbsp tomato paste
• 1 orange(s) (blood orange), 3/4 of the juice
• 1 ½ bunch parsley
• some flour
• Paprika powder
• salt and pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Thyme, fresh
• Rosemary, fresh
• Herbs of Provence

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 1 day 5 hours

the effort is enormous, but worthwhile

Remove any tendons, fat, and skin from the roast meat, then cut the meat into roughly 4 cm cubes. Place about half of the Provençal herbs in a (lightly covered) bowl or freezer bag and press in the garlic. Add the peppercorns, half of the onions, juniper berries, cloves, and bay leaf. Add the meat. Now add the wine and cognac (making sure the meat is completely covered) and marinate the meat overnight (but no longer than 24 hours). Turn it occasionally during this time. The next day, remove the meat from the bowl or bag and sieve the marinade for the sauce and set aside. Dust the meat all over with flour or roll it in flour. Fry the bacon in the roasting pan. Brown the meat in the clarified butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the meat cubes one at a time, making full use of the surface of the roasting pan. Brown the meat cubes evenly on all sides (brown, but not gray) and then keep warm in a container (in the oven). Once all the meat is prepared, add the remaining onions to the pot. Set the stove to medium heat. Roast the onions until they reach a nice, even brown color (about 12-15 minutes). Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally. Now combine the strained marinade with the contents of the roasting pan, add the meat, and let it simmer. Repeatedly add the same amount of red wine used for the marinade. Be careful! Season frequently and don’t use too much wine (if necessary, add vegetable stock, otherwise it will turn into a “tipsy beef bourguignon”). Now add the remaining ingredients (except the mushrooms, blood orange, and carrots), varying the amount to taste and seasoning frequently. The whole thing will now need about 3 hours in the roasting pan. Stir everything gently, and as the sauce reduces, add more wine (and/or vegetable stock) or dilute it with lemon juice. Clean the mushrooms, trim the ends, and brush them with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Clean the carrots and cut them into 1-2 cm pieces or slices. After about 2 hours, add the carrots, mushrooms, and blood orange juice to the meat. The meat should have a soft consistency that can only be shredded with a fork. The most suitable wine for serving is, of course, the one used for the marinade and dilution. A baguette is a traditional accompaniment. The dish can be prepared a day in advance, as it gains flavor after another cooking session.