Many of you ask us for our recommendations for perfect food and wine pairings. In autumn, of course, the perfect match is a boeuf bourguignon with our Minervois - La Livinière 2016 Les Trois Écus (or Minervois - La Livinière 2017 Soleil Rouge). The creaminess of the meat in simmered sauce marries perfectly with the well-melted tannins, fruit and power of our beautiful bottle of Livinière 2016. Try it and let us know. We'd love to hear from you.
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Christine's recipe: How I prepare a boeuf bourguignon... it takes a little patience but it's very easy!
What do I need?
A frying pan (for browning), a casserole dish (preferably cast-iron with a hollow lid that allows simmering without drying out), board, knife and wooden spoon...
- of beef for braising: I trust the butcher to choose the pieces (often several different cuts), which he will cut into large cubes, and also the quantity of meat, depending on the number of guests. As it takes a long time to cook and is best reheated, don't hesitate to make a little more and serve several times, or even freeze some of it.
- a few onions, some smoked bacon, two cubes of Kub Or or similar, a few bay leaves, sauce... five or 6 carrots.
- half a bottle of Livinière 2016 Les Trois Écus red wine if you're worried about finishing the bottle at the table). But our Minervois Rouge Les Hauts de Siran will do just fine.
- half a bottle of Livinière 2016 Les Trois Écus red wine (if you're worried about finishing the bottle at the table). But our Minervois Rouge Les Hauts de Siran will do just fine.
Preparation and cooking :
I slice one or two onions - or even more, depending on their size and your taste - and brown them with smoked bacon in a frying pan for two or three minutes (with a drop of oil if necessary, or no oil at all if the bacon is fatty).
I remove this from the pan and place the bacon and onions in the bottom of a cast-iron casserole dish over very, very low heat. In the still-hot, greased pan, I brown the cubed beef on all sides, adding a few drops of oil as needed. As they brown, I place them in the casserole dish and brown other pieces in the pan.
When all the pieces have browned and are placed in the casserole dish, I sprinkle a heaping spoonful of flour over them and mix well so that the flour spreads evenly over all the pieces.
In the hot pan, I add two large glasses of water and two Kub or cubes that will melt. Using a wooden spoon, I loosen the juices from the meat and mix the cube well. When it's all melted, I pour the hot liquid into the casserole and mix well. I turn up the gas and pour in the half-bottle of wine. The liquid should just touch the meat (add a little water... or more wine if necessary).
I place two bay leaves on top. For my taste, it's not necessary to add salt (and never too late to do so at the end, if need be).
I close the lid and fill it with water. I turn down the gas to minimum. After half an hour, I check that I can hear a discreet bubbling inside, so the temperature is set correctly. I leave it to cook for around 2h30, checking that there's still water in the lid and that the inside doesn't dry out.
If I have time, the rest will be put off until the next day. In this case, I put the casserole outside in a cool place, without opening the lid, and start again the next day.
I peel and wash the carrots, cut them into thick sticks or chunks and place them on top of the meat. It will take another good hour and a half of cooking with a lid full of water.
I cook boiled potatoes on the side and serve them as an accompaniment. Sometimes I add button mushrooms, which I pan-fry for ¼ hour with a drop of oil, but I don't find this essential at all.
Note: the closed casserole can also be placed in the oven at 150° for 4 to 5 hours.
