The holidays are over; you’ve probably spent a fortune, and right now January is looking bleak. Don’t despair, as your SousVide Supreme can save you time, and still allow you to eat gourmet restaurant quality food at home. January can be a hard time of the year and for many of us there is bitter cold weather this time of year that makes us crave sustaining and comforting food that’s delicious and nourishing.

I’ve looked to the French for inspiration for this hearty Boeuf Bourguignon. When I’ve made Boeuf Bourguignon in the past, I followed the traditional method: stewing it for hours in a Dutch oven and eagerly waiting for it to cook. It tasted good, but disappointingly the meat was overcooked and tough, and the vegetables were unevenly cooked. Stews are great when everything cooks perfectly, but that’s a rare occasion when everything has to cook together in the one pot. Overcooked stringy and tough meat can ruin a good stew.

This time when I made my Boeuf Bourguignon, I decided to do it sous vide. The beauty of cooking the meat separately sous vide ensures the meat is perfectly cooked, resulting in a mouthwatering juicy stew. Once the meat was cooked, it only took me forty minutes to whip up the rest of the stew. Cooking Boeuf Bourguignon this way means everything is evenly cooked. I wasn’t worried about overcooked vegetables or tough meat, as everything was cooked perfectly at the right temperature.

The resulting sous vide Boeuf Bourguignon was rich, juicy and full of flavor. Cheap stewing meat is reformed with the slow gentle cooking in the SousVide Supreme. This dish tastes gourmet without breaking the bank. It’s the perfect winter warmer, and especially good when served with some sous vide creamy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

Serves 2/3

• 1 lb. (455g) of stewing meat, cut into cubes
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and  finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 3 slices(100g) of smoky bacon, cut into small squares
• 1 cup (50g)of button mushrooms, washed and quartered
• 1 tablespoon (15g) of butter
• 1 heaped tablespoon (10g) of all-purpose flour
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
• ¾ cup (177 ml) of red wine
• 1 and 1/3 cup (315mls)of Beef stock (this will include reserved beef juice from cooked meat and the remainder will be store bought beef stock)
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme to 140°F or 60°C. Dry the stewing meat with some paper towels and season it with salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Put the seasoned meat into a food-grade cooking pouch and vacuum seal the pouch. Submerge the pouch into the water bath and leave to cook for 24 hours.
2. Once the meat has cooked for 24 hours, remove the pouch from the water. Open the pouch and strain the meat into a bowl. Reserve the juices for later use.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over a high heat. Pat the meat dry with some paper towels. Once the oil is hot, add the beef to the skillet and quickly sear the meat on all sides. Be careful not to over crowd the pan, or else the meat won’t brown. It’s advisable to cook the meat in a few batches. Remove the meat from the pan and leave to cool, while you make the sauce.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the same skillet pan. Cook the onions for about 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and leave aside on a clean plate.
5. To the same skillet pan, add the bacon and cook for 8 minutes. At the later stage of cooking add the mushrooms and cook with the bacon for 4-6 minutes. Remove the bacon and mushrooms and leave aside on a plate.
6. Take the skillet off the heat and use a dry kitchen towel to remove excess bacon grease. Once the skillet is clean, put it back on a medium heat and melt the butter. As soon as the butter has melted add the flour and cook the butter and flour until they turn a golden brown color (about 5 minutes).
7. Add the wine and cook over a medium to high heat to cook off the alcohol. Ensure to stir all the time, so no lumps form.
8. Add the reserved beef juices, beef stock and thyme leaves.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
9. Finally add the cooked onions, garlic, bacon, mushrooms and meat.Cook for a further 8 minutes to being all the ingredients back to temperature. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
10. Serve with some creamy mashed potatoes.