In winter it’s nice to dream about making the classic braised French dish, beef Burgundy—marinating the beef in red wine for 12 hours, simmering a braising stock, sautéing all the garnishes—but what about putting your feet up after the Christmas hubbub and using up those leftovers quickly. I’m a traditionalist, so Christmas dinner is usually a standing rib roast with horseradish and roasted new potatoes. The leftover roast beef makes a mighty good sandwich, but is even better in this quick-cooking stew.
If you have leftover steamed potatoes, reheat them to accompany the beef burgundy, otherwise, broad egg noodles cooked and then tossed with butter makes a fine accompaniment. Serve a green salad, some crusty bread, and a nice glass of red wine, then imagine yourself in a French bistro.
YIELD
Serves 4 to 5
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (3 cups) red Burgundy wine
2 large shallots thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound large white mushrooms quartered
30 (about 6 ounces) frozen pearl onions thawed
1 can (14½ ounces) beef broth
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
18 baby carrots peeled
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups (about 1 pound) rare roast beef thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh parsley minced
Freshly ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Simmer wine and shallots in 2½-quart saucepan until reduced by half. Set aside.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter and oil together in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Turn heat to medium-high and add broth, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer until broth is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Add wine mixture and carrots. Adjust heat to medium and simmer until carrots are tender, about 6 minutes.
In small bowl, mix together flour and remaining tablespoon butter until thoroughly blended. Add beef and parsley to pan. Stir in butter-flour mixture until completely absorbed and sauce is thickened. Add pepper to taste.
Remove garlic and bay leaf before serving. Serve with buttered egg noodles, or with steamed new potatoes.