Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

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• 1¼ lb boneless beef chuck (weighed after trimming every bit of visible fat and gristle), cut into 1½-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ lb white mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 oz frozen pearl onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 325 °F with a rack in the lower third. Trim every bit of visible fat and gristle off the chuck and throw it away (it is not eaten), then weigh 1¼ lb of the trimmed meat and cut it into 1½-inch cubes. Pat the cubes dry with paper towels and sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.
2. 2Set a 5½-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. 3Add the oil. Brown the beef in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until dark brown and not grey. Do not crowd the pot. Move each batch to a second bowl.
4. 4Add the mushrooms to the same pot and cook about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until they are brown and the liquid is gone. Move them to a bowl.
5. 5Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion and carrots in the pot for 5 minutes. Add the garlic powder and the tomato paste and let them sizzle for a minute. Then sprinkle on the flour and stir for another minute.
6. 6Pour in the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Boil 3 minutes. Add the broth, thyme and bay leaves, then the beef with its juices. Bring to a simmer. No wine? Use 2 more cups of broth and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar in its place, and skip the 3-minute boil.
7. 7Cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours. A mile up, water boils at about 203 °F instead of 212 °F, so the braise runs a quarter longer than the 2½ hours a sea-level pot would need. Start the fork test at 2½ hours: it is done when a fork slides in with no resistance and the beef reads at least 145 °F on a food thermometer.
8. 8Stir in the frozen pearl onions and the mushrooms. Leave the lid off and return the pot to the oven for 30 minutes, until the onions are soft and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
9. 9Take out the bay leaves. The pot is already seasoned with the 1 teaspoon of salt measured onto the beef; do not add more. Skim any oil off the top and throw it away, then stir in the parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes or plain noodles.
10. 10Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze flat in portions. Reheat to 165 °F.