This recipe is rich with goodness and flavor — and is comfort food at its best. The ingredients are simple: Quality grass-fed beef is married together with vegetables and a few glasses of full-bodied red wine.
I’ve used carrot puree to thicken the Bourguignon sauce towards the end of cooking, which is a lovely way of thickening sauces without using refined white flours.
Don’t overcook your cauliflower. Make sure to chop the ingredients finely before cooking and keep an eye on the cooking time. Blend it when hot, which will result in a creamy, white mash that tastes wonderful. This recipe is from my cookbook Purely Delicious.
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT IT
The lean grass-fed beef is a good source of essential amino acids, vitamin B12 and minerals including iron, zinc and selenium. Red wine is rich in polyphenols, including resveratrol, and moderate amounts have been linked to healthier cholesterol levels and better heart health.
Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or ghee
1 kg (32 oz) grass-fed beef rump, cut into chunks
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, halved and chopped
2 celery stalks, halved and chopped
1 leek, washed and sliced thickly
8 shallots, peeled and halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
500 ml (16 oz) red wine (Merlot is great)
3 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
300 g (10 1⁄2 oz) mushrooms, some halved and some whole
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Cauliflower mash to serve (see below)
TO THICKEN SAUCE: 2 carrots, finely sliced
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large heavy-based pot over a medium heat
Brown the beef in several small batches, then remove from the pot and set aside to rest on a plate
In the same pan, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, leek and shallots for 3 – 5 minutes
Place the beef back into the pot and add the thyme, bay leaves, red wine and water
Cover and cook over a low heat on the stove top for 2 hours or alternatively bake in a moderate 180° C / 356°F oven for 2 – 3 hours until tender. Add more water if necessary
Steam the additional 2 carrots until softened, then puree them until smooth
Add half of the carrot puree to the Bourguignon sauce and mix through. This will help thicken the sauce rather than using white refined flours. Add the rest of the puree if needed
Season with sea salt and pepper
Sauté the mushrooms with splash of olive oil or knob of butter until browned
Add parsley to the mushrooms then fold everything through the Bourguignon just before serving
Serve with cauliflower mash and enjoy.
CAULIFLOWER MASH
1 onion, sliced
1 cauliflower head, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
A pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Sauté onion in a large pot with the olive oil over a low to medium heat until softened – do not brown, you just need the onion to be softened
Add the cauliflower and a small ¼ cup splash of water just to steam it. Cover the pot completely with a tight- fitting lid
Steam for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to steam the cauliflower. You don’t want to overcook your cauliflower, otherwise you lose the freshness of the whole dish
Remove cauliflower from the heat and drain any excess moisture
Blend until smooth and creamy with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or quality butter and season to taste with a pinch of sea salt
NOTES + INSPIRATION You can also serve this dish with with sweet potato mash in place of cauliflower mash.
Teresa Cutter, founder of The Healthy Chef, is an author, nutritionist and classically trained chef. You can find more of Cutter’s tips and recipes on her website, app, eBooks and Instagram.
“My main goal at The Healthy Chef is to get people cooking and eating healthier. Eat natural foods, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and just keep it simple.” — Teresa Cutter
