Beef Bourguignon in a Dutch oven

A few weeks ago, I decided to make Beef Bourguignon for the first time, so I marched myself to the butcher and asked him for the appropriate cut of beef.  He said beef chuck works best.  I said okay.  Give it to me.  He also said you have to buy chunks of bacon because that's what you brown the beef in before you add it to the dutch oven.  I said no, thank you.  That sounds delicious, but Daniel has high cholesterol.  So I skipped the pork fat part, but everything else is pretty much the same.  Oh, and I also forgot to buy pearl onions at the store, so those were missing from my BB as well.  But here are the ingredients you are supposed to use:

• 6 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 2 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels
• Salt
• 6 shallots, chopped, about 2 cups
• 2 large, peeled carrots, 1 chopped, 1 cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 2 cups of red wine
• Beef Stock (low sodium), at least 1 cup
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 12 pearl onions, fresh or frozen
• 1 lb fresh shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms
• Beurre manie: 3 Tbsp flour blended with 2 Tbsp butter

Preheat your oven to 325.  First, I browned the beef chunks in olive oil and butter in a very large pan for a few minutes.  Next, I added the chopped shallots, carrots, garlic and mushrooms to the mix and allowed the vegetables to sautee, then adding the Brandy to the pan.  Allow the Brandy to evaporate.  Then add the wine, tomato paste and broth and let simmer for a few minutes.  Pull out your dutch oven (we have a ceramic one) and pour the entire mixture into the dutch oven.  Add all of your herbs and gently mix.  Place the covered dutch oven into your oven at home and allow to slow cook at 325 for about 4 hours.  Resist the urge to open the oven and check on it!!!  I always have to be reminded that when I open the oven, I let the heat out! 

Anyway, after about 4 hours, you can pull it out and check on it.  The last step is to make your broth thicker by taking out a smaller saucepan and heating up 2 tbsp of butter and adding 3 tbsp of flour.  Allow to cook over low heat while stirring for about a minute.  Then scoop some of the broth from the dutch oven into the saucepan and mix.  You should have a gravy-looking consistency.  Toss this gravy back into the dutch oven and gently mix around into your stew until the sauce has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to add pearl onions to the recipe, you may do so after about 3 hours of cooking.  They will need to be blanched and peeled first.  I just forgot to get them at the store.  Sorry!