Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2.5 pounds/1.2 kg of beef sirloin or tenderloin,
  
• Peanut oil or grape seed oil,
  
• 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme,
  
• Choice of condiments: assorted mustards, pickles, pearl onions in vinegar.

Ingredients for some dipping sauces :

• Tartare sauce: 1/2 cup (125 g) mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons capers, 5 sprigs of parsley, 3 pickles.
  
• Aïoli sauce: 1/2 cup (125 g) mayonnaise, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt & pepper.
  
• Blue cheese sauce: 5 oz (150 g) crumbled blue cheese, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 crushed garlic clove, chopped parsley, 8 oz sour cream, salt and pepper.
  
• Mustard sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Preparation Steps:

1. Prepare few tasty dipping sauces to serve with your fondue, at least 3.

2. Cut the meat into bite sized cubes and distribute in individual dishes (one per guest). Keep refrigerated until about 20 minutes before serving. Each guest will have its own bowl of meat.

3. Fill a metal or cast-iron fondue pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full with oil and add the bay leaf and the thyme. Heat on the kitchen stove over high heat until a deep-frying thermometer reads 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. You can also use an electric fondue pot and follow the directions for heating from that manufacturer. Remove the aromatic herbs.

4. When the oil is ready, bring the fondue pot to the table and place it over your heating unit or fondue burner with a high flame and maintain the heat. The oil should be very hot so that the meat sizzles and browns quickly as it touches the oil.

5. Spear a cube of beef with a fondue fork or skewer and hold it in the sizzling oil until cooked to the desired doneness usually 1 to 3 minutes. Then, transfer the cooked meat from the fondue fork to the plate and with another fork, dip the meat into the various sauces served. In the meantime, you can place another piece of meat into the hot pot and continue to cook while you eat.

6. Beside serving dipping sauces with the fondue, you might want to add a crisp green salad, oven baked potatoes or some fresh French bread.

Wine Pairing Tips: With a variety of different sauces to dip the meat in, most including mayonnaise, there is really no ideal wine pairing for a fondue bourguignonne. A safe choice is to serve a relatively light red, such as a Rully or Mercurey from the Côte Chalonnaise, or even a Beaujolais. In any case, avoid strong, tannic wines which will clash with the sauces. Another original option would be to serve a Marsannay rose!