Dijon/Cognac Beef Stew/Sauerbraten/Bourginon

  • 1/4 pound or more salt pork, or bacon, diced

  • 1 large onion, finely diced

  • 20 or so Pearl Onions..

  • 3 cloves garlic smashed

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter

  • 2 to 3 pounds beef chuck in 1-inch cubes

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1/2 cup Cognac or Brandy

  • 2 cups beef stock

  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 4 tablespoons Pommery mustard or other whole-grain Dijon mustard

  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin, half-moon slices

  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered

  • 1/4 cup or more red wine

  • Celery

  • 8 Ginger Snaps

    • (Marinate beef in red wine with fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, whole cloves and peppercorns with whatever else you want up to three days. add the zest and juice of a small orange. Add some lemon.)

PREPARATIon

  1. Place salt pork in a Dutch oven over low heat, and render fat. Raise heat, add garlic, onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.

  2. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.

  3. Add Cognac to the empty pot, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon Pommery mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat and onion mixture to pot. Lower heat, partly cover, and simmer gently until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Or about 25 min in pressure cooker

  4. Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high, and sauté mushrooms until browned.

  5. Stir mushrooms into stew along with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

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