Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia? If so, I’m pretty sure you remember that part when Julie’s husband greedily devoured that boeuf bourguignon that she lovingly prepared for her guests. For me, I knew that I gotta have it right there and then. My tummy was aching badly for that beefy stew for weeks. Until of course I decided to do something about it. That’s when I knew that absolutely nothing (and I really mean NOTHING) can beat that boeuf bourguignon.
Boeuf Bourguignon
In my humble opinion, boeuf bourguignon is one painstakingly long dish to create. The nitty gritty details of the cooking process is so important, that if you miss that one single step (which you think is unimportant), you’ll lose the intricacy of the whole dish. Julia Child is right. That beef has to be dried before sautéing, otherwise it won’t brown. But of course there are a few steps which you can skip or substitute altogether. For instance, when using the bacon. Julia called for the blanched bacon rinds to be added just after the wine. However, I added them to the casserole when I was sautéing the vegetables and beef together with the bacon.
Okay, I know how technical I just sounded and it may seem really difficult. But trust me, it’s not. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the cooking this beouf bourguignon and I will cook it again. So in all honesty, it just takes a long time. But at the end of it, you will be greatly rewarded with a dish that will only win you praises. And so, if you want to impress your boyfriend / husband / mother-in-law / whoever and has A LOT of time in your hands (and A LOT of patience), I can tell you that this particular boeuf bourguignon (thanks to Julia Child) is a sure winner!
Serving suggestions:
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. I served mine with buttered spaghetti.
Cooking time: Around 3 and a half hours
Serves : 3
Ingredients:
for the beef
A fireproof casserole dish about 3 inches deep (if you don’t have one, you should be able to use a pan for the sautéing and an ovenproof dish with a cover for the oven cooking)
3 ounce / 85g chunk of bacon (lardons), simmered in 75ml of water for 10 minutes, drain & dry
3 lbs. / 680g of stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 tablespoon of flour
1 and a half cups of full-bodied, young red wine or a Chianti
1 and a half cups of brown beef stock
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1/2 a teaspoon of thyme
a crumbled bay leaf
for the onions (Oignons Glacés à Brun)
18 small white onions, peeled
1 and a half tablespoon of butter
1 and a half tablespoon of oil
half cup of brown beef stock
salt & pepper
4 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
a quarter teaspoon of thyme
for the mushrooms (Champignons Sautés au Beurre)
1 lbs. / 450g of fresh mushrooms (I used a mixture of white button & Swiss brown mushrooms), washed, well dried, left whole if small or quartered if large
2 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of oil
salt & pepper
Directions:
for the beef
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit / 230 degrees Celcius.
In the fireproof casserole dish / pan sauté the blanched bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish. Using the same fireproof casserole dish / pan, reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browed on all sides. Remove from heat, add it to the bacon. In the same fat / oil, brown the sliced vegetables. Remove the sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust) Remove casserole from the oven and turn down heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit / 160 degrees Celcius.
Bring the casserole to the stove on moderate heat. Stir in wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato puree, garlic and herbs. Let it simmer. Remove from heat. Cover the casserole and set it in lower third of preheated oven. Let it simmer in the oven very slowly for 2 and a half to 3 hours.
While the beef cooks, prepare the following:
for the onions (Oignons Glacés à Brun)
Heat butter and oil in a pan. When the butter and oil are bubbling, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
Pour in the stock, season to taste and add the herb. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape. Remove from heat. Drain and set aside.
for the mushrooms (Champignons Sautés au Beurre)
Heat butter and oil in pan over high heat. As soon as you see that they butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for about 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. Set aside.
—
When the meat is tender, remove from oven. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. Bring it back to the stove on moderate heat and let it simmer covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve in its casserole or arrange the stew on a platter with potatoes, buttered noodles or rice and decorated with parsley.
