Beef bourguignon: Simmering romance

But if you have the time, I want to share an option for taking it to the next level if you choose — making your own beef stock. The flavor difference between homemade stock and store-bought stock is significant, so it’s worth addressing. And making your own beef stock isn’t hard, it just takes some time, which is why I recommend making it the day before (or overnight in a slow cooker).

Here’s how to do it: Roast five pounds of meaty beef bones in a baking dish at 400 degrees for at least an hour, turning halfway through until they are well browned. Transfer these to a large stock pot (or slow cooker) with 12 cups of cold water, a pinch of salt, pepper, a splash of cider vinegar and any carrot, onion or fresh herbs you have on hand. Bring this to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to a slow simmer. Pour a ladle or two of the hot liquid into the roasting pan and scrape with a spoon to collect any caramelization from the roasting bones. Pour this into the stock pot and simmer the stock for anywhere from four to eight hours. Strain and reduce stock to around four cups.

This stew is the definition of hearty, warming, rich and tender all at the same time. For this version, I wanted to make a stew that had the structure of the French classic but tasted a bit more like home. I added dried red chile and red chile purée. Instead of flour to thicken, I used masa harina (you could also use corn flour). I also added sage and herbes de Provence (or my favorite, High Desert Herbs, which can be purchased at stokli.com).

High Desert beef bourguignon

Makes: 8 servings; total time: 3 hours

For the bouquet garni:

2 dried New Mexico red chiles, seeded and stemmed

3 large rosemary sprigs

3 large sage sprigs

Kitchen twine

For searing the beef:

3 pounds chuck beef roast, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch dry pieces

Salt, pepper, High Desert Herbs or herbes de Provence

4 tablespoons olive oil, for searing

4 tablespoons butter, for searing

For the stew:

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

4 large carrots, sliced or halved, then sliced

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup masa harina

1 (750 mL) bottle red wine (classically, a pinot noir from Burgundy)

2 cups (1 pint) red chile purée, defrosted

4 cups beef stock

For the bacon and vegetable topping:

5 ounces of the thickest bacon you can find, sliced

½ pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned with a clean kitchen towel and halved or quartered

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound pearl onions, peeled and trimmed

For the garnish:

Chopped cilantro

Preparation: First we are going to make the bouquet garni, which is a bundle of aromatics that will flavor the stew. Place a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sear red chiles on both sides for less than a minute, just until they soften. Turn off heat. Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie together the chiles, rosemary and sage into a bundle. Set aside.

Now, let’s season the beef: In a large bowl, toss together the beef, a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, herbes de Provence (or High Desert Herbs) and let the meat rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

While the beef is resting, prepare your vegetables so they are ready when you are: onion, carrot, garlic, pearl onions and mushrooms.

Once the beef has rested, Place the oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil each batch, and sear the beef until it is browned on all sides, transferring browned beef to a bowl. Once all the beef has been cooked and transferred to a bowl, turn the heat to medium.

Let’s start to build the stew: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add butter, onion and carrots to the pot. Let this cook, stirring occasionally until the onions start to turn translucent, around 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the masa harina and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the red wine. Let this mixture simmer for around 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot at this point to release any caramelized bits. Add the red chile purée, beef stock, reserved browned beef and the reserved bundle of herbs. Let this mixture come to a boil and then turn off the heat. Give a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Transfer this to the oven and set a timer for two hours.

While the stew is cooking, let’s prepare the bacon and vegetable topping: In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the bacon. Slowly let it cook until the fat has rendered out into the pan and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Now, turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook the mushrooms until they are nicely caramelized and transfer these to the bowl with the bacon. Add butter to the pan and now add the onions. Cook until they are evenly caramelized. Turn off the heat but keep these in the pan for now.

When the two hour timer goes off, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Skim off any fat with a ladle and add the pearl onions, making sure they are submerged. Gently place the bacon and mushrooms over the top of the stew. Place the pot back in the oven for another 30 minutes, making sure the beef is fully tender. To serve, remove the bouquet garni, give the stew a final taste and seasoning if needed and garnish with cilantro.