Give me any reason to dream of faraway places in the middle of winter and that’s what I’ll be doing. These flavors will transport you to the french countryside and make you a stew lover all over again. Dijon, shallots, and thyme along with Cognac undertones meld together in this rich savory french stew. Find some crusty bread, pour a glass of wine and enjoy. This would be great for a winter dinner with friends or a Sunday night meal.
Oooh La La–French Comfort Food: Beef Stew with Cognac and Dijon
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 slices of bacon, diced
- 2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat, in 1-inch cubes (I got mine at Costco)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup Cognac
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
- ½ pound mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbls. butter
- 2 Tbls. chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon on medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels and set aside.
- Next, dredge the beef chunks in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and add a layer of the beef chunks and brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef, adding additional olive oil as needed. Remove batch of beef to the plate.
- Turn down heat to medium and add onion and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened but not browned, 8-10 minutes. Add carrots half-way through cooking. Use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables to a plate.
- Turn heat down to low and add Cognac to the dutch oven, stirring until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add beef stock, red wine, Dijon, and thyme. Stir to incorporate, then return meat and vegetable mixture to pan. Season again with salt and pepper. Simmer, covering dutch oven part way with lid, until meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and adjust seasonings as the stew cooks.
- In the meantime, add 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat and sauté mushrooms until browned and tender, 10-12 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and bacon into stew then taste, and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately.
Had this for dinner last night at a friends. It was fabulous!
★★★★★
Pam I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the stew! Love Friday night dinner with friends!
Just made it today. Had 2 large bowls. Excellent!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! This is one of my favorite stews. 🙂
Cheers!
Tonja