Hubert Keller’s Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

Serves 4-6
  • 5 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 5 pounds beef cheeks
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 4” pieces lemongrass, smashed
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 14 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 8 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 8 teaspoons bread crumbs
  • 1 cup spinach, cooked
  • ½ cup watercress, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a 5-quart casserole pan over high heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  3. Season beef cheeks with salt and pepper and sear in bacon fat, 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
  4. Remove beef cheeks from pan.
  5. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, onions, parsley, and ginger to the remaining bacon fat, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add meat back to pan with vegetables.
  7. Add lemongrass, orange zest, tomatoes, brown sugar, tomato paste, red wine, and beef stock.  Meat should be completely covered with liquid.
  8. Bring stew to a simmer, cover, and cook in preheated oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until meat is tender.
  9. Remove from oven, uncover, and let cool to room temperature.
  10. Carefully remove beef cheeks from liquid, and set aside.
  11. On a damp surface, lay out a large piece of plastic wrap.
  12. Place three beef cheeks side by side on the plastic, and roll up very tightly in the plastic.  Twist the ends and tie, so that the beef cheeks resemble a sausage.  Repeat with remaining beef cheeks.
  13. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  14. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  15. Once the beef cheek logs have been refrigerated, strain 2 cups of liquid out of the pot that they were braised in.  Place this braising liquid in a shallow saucepan.
  16. Remove the plastic from the beef cheeks and slice each log into 4 pieces, about 2” tall.  Place in braising liquid, cover, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  17. Remove from oven and top each beef cheek round with 1 teaspoon of mustard and 1 teaspoon of breadcrumbs.
  18. Increase oven temperature to 400°F, and place the pan back in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs have browned.
  19. Lay the spinach on the plate, and ladle some of the sauce around the spinach.  Place the beef cheeks on top, and garnish with watercress.  Serve with extra sauce on the side, if desired.

Secrets:

  • If you are looking for an alternative to Beef Cheeks, Lamb shanks or Beef shanks would also work just fine for this technique.