SHORT RIB BEEF BOURGUINON

- METHOD -

Lightly dust the short rib with salt and pepper (our Cape Herb & Spice S&P shaker is perfect for this) and fry it in 4 tablespoons of olive oil until nicely browned. (You’ll need to do this in batches so the casserole’s temperature remains high enough to caramelize the meat.) Set aside the meat and add the onion, celery, carrots and a third of the bacon to the same pan. Fry for a few minutes, stirring to lift all those lovely caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the flour and cook whilst stirring until it disappears into the vegetables. Now add the garlic and tomato paste and fry for a further minute.

Add the wine and cook rapidly for a minute, then add in the beef short rib, stock, black pepper and a Cape Herb & Spice Bouquet Garni. Put the lid on and simmer it in a gentle 160 ˚C oven until the short rib is fall-off-the-bone soft – we’re talking a good 3+ hours. (This is assuming you have an ovenproof enamel Dutch oven. If you don’t, you can easily make this dish on your stovetop. Simply place the pot on your smallest plate, on its lowest setting.)

Once done, remove the bouquet garni and taste for salt. You will definitely need to add salt, but how much depends on the sodium content of the stock you used. Brown the baby onions and bacon in a knob of butter. Wipe the pan clean and also brown the mushrooms in a knob of butter. (Button mushrooms are traditional, but we also added some pretty exotics.) Scatter the bacon, mushrooms and onions over the beef bourguinon and, for a pop of colour, give it a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Serve with crusty baguette or creamy mash.

This recipe serves 4 people handsomely.

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za