{
  "title": "Beef Bourguignon (The Housewife Flex Dish)",
  "tags": [
    "Dinner"
  ],
  "servings": "6",
  "prepTime": "30 mins",
  "cookTime": "3 hrs 30 mins",
  "description": "A rich, wine-braised French beef stew that screams 'I have my life together.' Serves 6-8 and will absolutely DESTROY at dinner.",
  "ingredients": [
    "1.5kg beef chuck, cut into 5cm cubes",
    "750ml dry red wine — 1 bottle (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)",
    "500ml beef stock (1 standard carton)",
    "200g thick-cut bacon lardons (1 standard pack)",
    "300g pearl onions, peeled (1 net bag)",
    "300g cremini mushrooms, halved (1 punnet)",
    "3 carrots, roughly chopped",
    "4 garlic cloves, minced",
    "30ml tomato paste",
    "25g all-purpose flour",
    "4 fresh thyme sprigs",
    "2 bay leaves",
    "45ml olive oil",
    "Salt and black pepper to taste"
  ],
  "instructions": [
    "Toss the beef in the wine with thyme and bay leaves. Let it marinate overnight or at least 2 hours in the fridge. Drain and pat completely dry before cooking.",
    "In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon lardons until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.",
    "Add the olive oil to the pot. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned. Do not crowd the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Set beef aside.",
    "In the same pot, sauté the pearl onions and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat everything.",
    "Pour in the wine and beef stock, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom. Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Tuck in the thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to a 160°C oven (fan: 140°C) for 3 hours.",
    "About 30 minutes before the braise is done, sauté the mushrooms in a separate pan with a little butter and salt until golden. Add them to the stew for the last 20 minutes.",
    "Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or with crusty bread."
  ],
  "id": "beef-bourguignon-housewife-flex",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-12T17:11:05.472Z"
}