Sous Vide Beef Bourguignonfeatured

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces (4 slices) bacon
• 1 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Burgundy, Cote du Rhone, or Pinot Noir
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Set your sous vide to 65 C / 140 F.
2. Cut the bacon slices crosswise into skinny lardons. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or sauté pan. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a zip-top or vacuum seal bag.
3. Dry the beef cubes with a paper towel and season them with 1 teaspoon salt, ground pepper, and cornstarch, tossing them so that they’re evenly coated. Working in batches to make sure the meat isn’t too crowded, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. As the seared cubes are done, add them to the bag with the bacon.
4. Peel the carrots and roll cut them into roughly 1-inch pieces. To pull of a roll cut, start by cutting off the top of the carrot at a 45 degree angle. Rotate the carrot a quarter turn, leaving your knife at the same 45 degree angle, and cut again. Continue rolling and cutting your way down the length of the carrot. You should end up with wedge-like cuts that are all roughly the same size and shape.
5. Slice the onion into half-moon slivers.
6. In the same pan with bacon grease, toss the carrots, onions, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the veggies to the bag, discard any excess fat left in the pan.
7. Add the bottle of wine to the pan and deglaze over medium heat, scraping up all those browned and crusty good bits with a flat-edged wooden spoon or spatula. Add the water and beef bouillon. Let the liquid simmer and reduce by about a quarter in volume, about 15 minutes.
8. Add the reduced wine mixture, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf to the bag. Seal and sous vide for 16 hours. You can even push it to 24 hours if you want. Since this is cooking for so long, cover the pot with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation.
9. In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the mushrooms until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
10. When the sous vide time is up, cut a small opening in the bag and pour the liquid into the pan. If there is visible fat on the surface, skim it off with a spoon.
11. With a fork, mash together the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour until it forms a paste. Whisk this into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking frequently, and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
12. Add the mushrooms, meat and vegetables left in the bag to the pan and toss so that everything is coated.
13. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with potatoes, bread, or cauliflower puree.

Notes