Beef Burgundy

This week I made Beef Burgundy, a rich beef stew, along with a creamy Parmesan Polenta, which paired amazingly well together in a meal, I just ladled the soup over the polenta in a bowl and yum! The stew takes around 3 hours to make, so definitely start that first and make whatever side you're pairing with it while it cooks in the oven for 2 hours. Polenta is an Italian dish made with cornmeal, something very similar to grits if you've had those (but I think polenta tastes better) that reminds me a lot of how we usually use mashed potatoes. It pairs well with meats, and can be mixed up with different flavors, seasonings and cheeses. I was not too big of a fan of the flavor in this polenta, so I will definitely have to try another and share it if I like it better, but the good thing about it is, it's cheap to make! Another one of the neat things with polenta is, when using it in leftovers, you can let it solidify in a flat pan, and cut shapes out of it, and then grill or saute those shapes to use the next time! (I have a mickey mouse head cutter that I'm particularly fond of) Try it and let me know what you think! It definitely can be a nice change of pace from mashed potatoes :) 
  


Beef Burgundy

• 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes, or bite sized pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ounces of bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
• 1 lb white button mushrooms, quartered
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 T all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (pinot noir is what I used)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 t dried thyme
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven until it starts to smoke. Add half of the beef and brown for about 10 minutes, removing the beef and repeating with the other half of the beef, adding an extra tablespoon of oil for it. Add the remaining oil to the pot and return the heat to medium until shimmering. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft, then stir in the garlic and the flour. Cook that for one minute before adding the wine, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom as you stir it in. Add the broth, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. While it's in the oven, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add the mushrooms to the bacon grease and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Add the pearl onions and cook until browned as well, about an extra 3 minutes. Pull the stew from the oven and stir in the vegetables along with the parsley. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the bacon just before serving! Enjoy!

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (about a cup)
• 6 cups of water
• salt
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal (coarse is best, but if you can't find it fine will do alright, it'll just be a bit more gluey than smooth)

 Bring the water and 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly add the cornmeal (very slowly!) while whisking in a circular motion to avoid clumping. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, scraping the pots corners, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the butter and 3/4 cup parmesan, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese right before serving.