Recipe: Boeuf a la Bourguignonne

Boeuf la Bourguignonne

1/4 pound salt pork, diced
1/4 cup Cognac
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 pounds bottom round of beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup flour for dredging
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 large yellow onions, chopped
1/4 pound [1 stick/8 tablespoons] butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 pound button mushrooms
14 small white onions, peeled
1 1/2 cups red Burgundy
2 cups beef stock
Salt, pepper, dash cayenne
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Marinate salt pork in Cognac with 1/4 cup parsley and a little pepper for several hours.
Mix flour, salt and pepper and in it dredge meat. Melt half the butter in a heavy skillet and brown meat on all sides. Halfway through, add chopped onions and brown them. Fry marinated salt pork in 1 teaspoon of the butter until browned. Transfer beef to oven casserole. Add fried salt pork, but not rendered fat. Deglaze pan in which beef was browned with cognac from marinade and a little stock. Add to beef. Add Burgundy and enough beef stock to cover meat. Bring to boil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., place stew in oven, cover and let simmer
2 1/2 hours. Wash and dry mushrooms and saut them in 2 tablespoons butter without cooking through. Add to stew. Parboil small onions 3 minutes, drain them well, and saut in remaining butter until lightly browned. Add to stew. Add stock, if necessary. Cook, covered, one hour. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne. Cook uncovered 15 minutes. Skim off fat. Serve in casserole well sprinkled with chopped parsley. Serves 8 to 10.