Published March 1, 2013. From Cook's Illustrated.
We wanted our boeuf bourguignon recipe to have tender braised beef napped in a silky, rich sauce with bold red wine flavor but without all the work that the classic recipe requires. We cook the stew in the oven, uncovered in a roasting pan, so that the exposed surfaces of the meat brown as it braises, allowing us to eliminate the time-consuming step of searing it beforehand. Similarly, we used the oven, rather than the stovetop, to render the salt pork and to prepare the traditional mushroom and pearl onion garnish.
If the pearl onions have a papery outer coating, remove it by rinsing them in warm water and gently squeezing individual onions between your fingertips. Two minced anchovy fillets can be used in place of the anchovy paste. To save time, salt the meat and let it stand while you prep the remaining ingredients. Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
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