Essentially Boeuf Bourguignon is a stew and in our family stews are served from a camp oven and eaten from a bowl beside a camp fire. This recipe therefore has been adapted to be cooked in one pot, namely a camp oven. The main ingredients to worry about are the meat and the wine and time. A few vegetables and herbs and garlic help and also remove the need to serve anything extra other than perhaps a roast potato or sweet potato.

Another version using Venison came about because I inherited a huge leg of venison and after roasting it and serving 6 we barely made a dent in it so I adapted this recipe and it was awesome.

BOUEF BOURGUIGNON  (Julia Child)

Ingredients

  • 3 rashers of fatty bacon, rind removed and cut into 1cm wide strips (par boil rind and bacon for 10 minutes if possible)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 kg chuck steak, cut into 5cm pieces and well dried with paper towel
  • 3 carrots chopped into large triangles
  • 2 sliced onions
  • 1 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 2 beef stock cubes and enough additional water to just cover the meat (or beef stock)
  • 4 tbs tomato paste
  • 6 cloves mashed garlic
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 kg quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter and oil before adding to the stew just before serving
  • Parsley

Method

  1. This works well in the slow cooker – can do all the preparation in the kitchen, cook in the slow cooker then put in the camp oven and reheat before serving.
  2. Heat the camp oven and sauté the bacon in the oil to brown lightly. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
  3. Reheat the pan and brown the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time, add to the bowl with the bacon
  4. In the same fat, brown the vegetables. Pour out any fat. Put the vegetables in a separate bowl.
  5. Toss the flour, salt and pepper into the beef and bacon mix. Cook and toss the meat a few times to brown the flour and cover the meat with a light crust.
  6. Add the vegetables, stir in the wine, and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
  7. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind.
  8. Cover the camp oven and place on the coals, place coals on the lid.
  9. Cook  slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
  10. While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms by cooking in a separate pan in oil and butter. Set them aside until needed.
  11. When the meat is tender, scoop off any excess liquid and reduce.
  12. Add the mushrooms to the meat and return the reduced stock.
  13. Taste and adjust seasoning and reheat if necessary.
  14. Serve – sprinkle with parsley.

VENISON BOURGUIGNON  (Karen W)

I have slow roasted the meat first which works ok if you want to try the venison as a roast. The roast we had was huge and would have fed loads of people but on the second cook, to turn it into Bourguignon it did start to break down and became a little stringy. Unless I was to have a huge dinner party I would only roast a portion, just so we had the taste experience of roast venison (and it was lovely).

ROAST VENISON

Ingredients

  • venison roast 3 to 4 kg
  • Seasoning Mix
  • 10 tsp minced garlic
  • 4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
  • 3 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 10 medium carrots cut into 5cm wedges
  • 5 onions, quartered

Method

  1. Combine rosemary, onion powder, garlic and thyme and rub over entire roast. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  2. Add 1/2 in. of water to a roasting pan.
  3. Place the roast, carrots and onions in pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until a met thermometer reads 160°.
  4. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.
  5. Strain drippings into a measuring cup. In a saucepan, combine 3 cups drippings, bouillon, browning sauce and remaining onion powder.
  6. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into drippings.
  7. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.