Beef Bourguignon With Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

As the weather gets cooler, the more I crave warm and hearty dishes. This dish is a classic, that I've kicked up to make it even more flavorful! Hope you enjoy it, and it keeps you warm during this cold winter season!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Lbs. Sirloin or Tenderloin, cut into 3/4 inch chunks

1 Lb. Bacon

2 Bunches Medium Sized Knob Onions

2 Cups Red Wine

3 Cups Beef Broth

2 t Dried Thyme

1 T Minced Garlic

8 oz. Button Mushrooms, Sliced

5 Bay Leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

2-3 T Wondra

How to Make:

In the oven or a skillet cook bacon until crispy. Using 2 T of the bacon drippings, in a large pan (about 14 inch) slightly brown meat. Lightly season meat with salt and pepper. When meat has been browned remove meat from pan and set aside. Do not over cook meat.

Quarter the white portion of the knob onions, and chop the green sections. Add onions and minced garlic to the pan with bacon dripping that the meat was browned in. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms, cook an additional 4 minutes. Next add wine, beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to onions and mushrooms. Crumble cooked bacon into bite size pieces and add to the broth mixture. Lastly add the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 35-40 minutes.

You can check the meat after a half hour by cutting into it to see if it's cooked to your liking. Some people like the meat still to be a little pink in the center, others like it well done. Adjust cooking time until meat is cooked to you liking.

When meat has been cooked, add 2-3 T of Wondra to broth mixture. This will thicken up the broth slightly. It will not become a gravy, it will still be more on the broth side.

To make the mashed potatoes:

5-6 Large Yukon Golds

1 Stick of Butter

1/4 Cup Milk

Fresh Chives

Crumbled Bacon

Cut potatoes into small chunks and place into a large pot with salted water. I leave the skins on my potatoes, because I think it adds more flavor, but you can remove them if you desire. Bring water to a boil, and boil potatoes 12-15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain water, and transfer hot potatoes to a bowl. Mash potatoes, and add butter so it can melt. Gradually add milk. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip potatoes until smooth and creamy. You may have to add a little more milk to help smooth out. Next fold in crumbled bacon and chives.

Serving:

To serve, take one spoonful of mashed potatoes, and place in center of the plate. With a slotted spoon, take a spoonful of meat and vegetable mixture and place on top or the side of the potatoes. Using a regular spoon, spoon broth from meat mixture over potatoes and meat. Add as much as you like.

Put leftovers in containers. Whens storing the meat, make sure you save enough broth to reheat. Everything stores well in the refrigerator.

To reheat meat, I put it back into a pan and reheated it over the stove versus a microwave. I did not want the meat to cook, I just wanted it to be warmed. I think the stove allows you to have a little more control then a microwave. This allows the meat to not become overcooked and stay tender.

Hope you enjoy!