Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

Meat and marinade

• 1.2 kg beef shank or shoulder from old dairy cattle, cut into large pieces
• 1 bottle of red wine (preferably Burgundy or a full-bodied wine with at least 13% alcohol)
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 cloves
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 150 g celeriac

For the braising

• 3 tablespoons CARDENAU extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 dl beef stock or vegetable broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Finally in court

• 200 g mushrooms
• 150 g pearl onions or small shallots
• 100 g ventrèche or pancetta
• CARDENAU Merlot vinegar to taste

Mashed potatoes

• 1 kg large potatoes (preferably Agata)
• 150g butter
• Boiling water from the potatoes

Procedure

The day before

1. 1
   Cut the onions, carrots, celeriac and meat into large pieces of approximately 4 x 4 cm.
2. 2
   Place everything in a large bowl or bag along with wine, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme.
3. 3
   Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 12-16 hours. The marinating adds depth and tenderness, but the dish can also be made without this step.

Next day: The braising

1. 1
   Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Save both the wine and vegetables – they will become part of the sauce.
2. 2
   Heat olive oil in a heavy pan and brown the meat in batches, so you get good caramelization without cooking it.
3. 3
   Sauté the marinated vegetables in the pan for 5-6 minutes until they start to colour. Sprinkle with flour and fry briefly.
4. 4
   Place the meat back in the pot, pour the wine marinade over it and add stock so that it just covers.
5. 5
   Bring to a boil, cover and place the pot in the oven at 180°C for 1½–2 hours, until the meat is tender but still has structure.

Mashed potatoes

1. 1
   Boil the potatoes until tender in unsalted water.
2. 2
   Pour off the water, but save a good portion of the cooking water.
3. 3
   Mash the potatoes and stir in the boiling water and butter until the mash is creamy and rustic.
4. 4
   Season with salt and pepper.

Finally in court

1. 1
   Cut the mushrooms in half or quarters and the ventrèche into small sticks.
2. 2
   Fry mushrooms, pearl onions and ventrèche in a pan until they change colour and become firm in structure.
3. 3
   Turn everything over in the pan 15–20 minutes before serving.
4. 4
   If you want the sauce to be more concentrated, you can remove the lid for the last half hour. Alternatively, you can smooth it out slightly.
5. 5
   Season the dish with salt, pepper and a little acid, here we like to use a few drops of Merlot vinegar. If you want a little sweetness, a small pinch of sugar can round out the sauce.