Classic Beef Stew (a la Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy)

There is nothing more comforting than a plateful of beef stew in the tradition of Beef Bourguignon (aka beef burgundy). Whenever I have one of those days or just feel like spending a cozy evening at home, I make this delicious classic beef stew recipe, which is just full of umami.

Just half the recipe for a romantic dinner for 2, and serve with a nice bottle of red. It's also a real crowd pleasure especially during football and basketball seasons.

Looking at the photo just made me salivate. Honestly, I've tasted (strike that) tested many recipes, and this one is my favorite. Shh, my secret ingredient is cloves.

Serves: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients

3 pounds of beef chuck, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
3 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 ribs of celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup of leeks, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 large carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1 8oz can of whole plum tomatoes, rough chop with scissors inside the can
3 cups of dry red wine
2 cups of stock, preferably beef 
3 cloves garlic, crushed & minced
1 1/2 tablespoon of herbes de provence (typically includes thyme, rosemary, marjoram & basil)
2 large dried bay leaf
3 whole cloves 
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce  (optional)
1/2 pound russet potatoes, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces* (in lieu of beurre manie)
1 pound white mushrooms, brushed of debris & bottoms trimmed
Salt & pepper to season and to taste

Preparation

1. Season beef chuck well with salt and pepper. In a ziploc bag, add flour and beef to coat.
2. In a large Dutch oven, add olive oil and butter using medium-high heat. Once hot, brown beef on all sides in 3 separate batches to create nice carmelization. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325F.
4. Add onions into the Dutch oven, sauté for 5 minutes until slightly brown. Depending on the amount of fat rendered from the beef, add a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil if needed.
5. Push aside onion and add celerys, leeks, and garlic into the middle of the dutch oven to sauté evenly, until fragrant.
6. Add cognac and let it cook until alcohol evaporates.
7. Push veggies aside to add tomatoes, bay leaves, and herbes de provence for 2 minutes to layer in flavor.
8. Return beef along with liquid released onto the plate into the Dutch oven. Add wine and bring to a strong simmer. Add broth and stir.
9. Add carrots, potatoes, cloves, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until beef becomes fork tender.
10. Remove from oven and place on burner at low heat. Rinse mushrooms and add to stew. Once combined, turn off heat to serve.

Note:

* In lieu of beurre manie, potatoes are used as the starch to thickening the jus (or gravy). Also, it makes it a 1-pot meal and slightly healthier with less butter. If you prefer to go sans potatoes, I recommend serving with some good pappardelle pasta. What can I say, I like my carbs.