Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

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Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

This rich, comforting stew was brought to The Times by Regina Schrambling in 2001, in the dark days immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center. The accompanying article was an ode to the therapeutic benefits of cooking and baking: "Whoever said cooking should be entered into with abandon or not at all had it wrong. Going into it when you have no hope is sometimes just what you need to get to a better place. Long before there were antidepressants, there was stew." This one, while complex in flavor, is not difficult to prepare, but it cannot be rushed. Make it when you have the time to indulge in the meditative qualities of chopping, sautéing, reducing, braising, waiting and tasting. You will be rewarded with an exceptionally flavorful dish that is just as satisfying to eat as it was to cook.

Rating

Ingredients

  • 1/4pound salt pork, diced
  • 1large onion, finely diced
  • 3shallots, chopped
  • 2 to 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2pounds beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes
  • 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/2cup Cognac
  • 2cups beef stock
  • 1/2cup Dijon mustard
  • 4tablespoons Pommery mustard or other whole-grain Dijon mustard
  • 4large carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices
  • 1/2pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered
  • 1/4cup red wine
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

Place salt pork in a Dutch oven over low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and discard. Raise heat, and add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.

If necessary, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.

Add Cognac to the empty pot, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon Pommery mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat and onion mixture to pot. Lower heat, partly cover, and simmer gently until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until slices are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high, and sauté mushrooms until browned.

Stir mushrooms into stew along with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Notes

For a slow-cooker version, render the salt pork in a large sauté pan, then sear the flour-dusted beef cubes in the fat. While the beef is browning, add onions, shallots, carrots, mushrooms and red wine to the slow cooker, along with the browned beef. Add Cognac to the empty pan, and deglaze. Add 1 cup stock (instead of 2), Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon Pommery mustard. Transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons Pommery mustard and warm through before serving.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 30 gramsCalories: 542Saturated Fat: 12 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 16 gramsSodium: 1168 milligramsSugar: 7 gramsFiber: 5 gramsCarbohydrate: 19 gramsProtein: 39 grams
Beef

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017085-dijon-and-cognac-beef-stew