Written by Julie Kohl of Eggs and Herbs

When it is cold outside I crave warm food with SERIOUS flavor.  Like hardy soups and stews that simmer for hours.  Foods whose scent slowly builds into something so tempting that your mouth is watering long before the meal is ready to serve.  I’m talking about Boeuf Bourguignon.

In the forward of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child states that the reason that many foods fall far below good French cooking is “just this matter of elimination of steps, combination of processes, or skimping on ingredients such as butter, cream-and time. “Too much trouble,””Too expensive,” or “Who will know the difference” are death knells for good food.”

Oh, what a wise women she was!  We live in a society of microwaved convenience foods, canned condensed soups and drive-through meals.  Now, don’t get me wrong!  All of those things have a place!  I have a beloved family casserole recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup,  I regularly pack a microwavable Lean Cuisine meal for lunch at work and I LOVE McDonalds Cheeseburgers!  We are busy and on MOST nights the convenience of shortcuts in the kitchen is a welcomed necessity.

That being said, I strongly believe that GOOD food takes time and patience and is truly a labor of love.  It harkens back to a time when things were simpler and the world seemed to move at a slightly slower pace.  I must have been French in a former life because every recipe I have ever fixed from Mastering makes me feel like I have come home.

I believe that French cooking is the epitome of farm cooking.  French cooking is based on simple, farm fresh foods that are cooked to perfection, low and slow, for a deep and complex taste. French cooking doesn’t have to be difficult but it often takes time. Boeuf Bourguignon is not a dish that should be rushed.  In fact, I highly suggest cooking it the day before you plan to serve it.  As it rests overnight in the fridge, the flavors will intensify.

I first made Boeuf Bourguignon a few years ago just before the Julie and Julia book and movie craze hit hard.  I had read the book before it became the cool thing to do and, having been a fan of Julia Child since childhood and since my name is Julie, I felt compelled to have my own little “Julie and Julia” adventure.  My husband purchased me Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I began experimenting with many of the recipes.  Boeuf Bourguignon was the first thing I made and while I continue to fall in love with many of the other recipes it is the one to which I keep coming back.

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the main recipe for the Boeuf Bourguignon spans three pages and includes two sub-recipes from elsewhere in the book.  This recipe is not likely something you will whip up on a whim! The recipe below is based on Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. While it is mainly the same, I have (probably much to the chagrin of Julia) streamlined it and made a few changes to the recipe based on modern ingredients and product availability.  If you are a foodie or have a foodie friend I would highly recommend purchasing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Your friends’ and families’ tummies will thank you!

Boeuf Bourguginon

2013-12-29 10:52:50

Serves 6

Beef Stew in Red Wine with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms

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Ingredients

1. ¼ pound of bacon
2. 3 ½ Tablespoons oil, divided
3. 5 ½ Tablespoons butter, divided
4. 3 pounds. stewing beef
5. 1 carrot, sliced
6. 1 onion, sliced
7. 18-24 broiler onions, peeled
8. 1 Tound fresh mushrooms, quartered
9. 2 tablespoons flour
10. 4 ½ cups of a good red wine (I used Burgundy but Chianti is also a favorite)
11. 3 cups beef stock
12. 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
13. 2 cloves of garlic, minced with a micro plane
14. 2 bundles of fresh herbs (I use thyme, oregano, bay and rosemary)
15. Fresh Parsley for garnish
16. salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Chop the bacon and brown in a medium to large enameled cast iron Dutch oven until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add one tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat. While the oils heat up dry the stew meat with a towel to remove excess moisture the sauté the meat a few piece at a time until it is browned on all sides. Remove and add to the bacon.
2. Next sauté the carrots and sliced onion in the bacon fat until they brown and begin to soften. There is no need to cook them all the way through now.
3. Add the beef and bacon to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture with 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat. Place the Dutch oven, uncovered into the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 additional minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and turn the temperature to 325 degrees.
4. Add 3 cups of wine to the dish plus enough beef stock to slightly cover the meat. Add tomato paste, minced garlic and herbs to the mix and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish and return to the 325 degree oven for 3 hours. The meat should pierce easily with a fork.
5. While the beef is cooking in the oven place 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into a lidded skillet. Once the butter has melted and foamed, add one pound of quartered mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms 5-6 minutes until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the broiler onions and sauté for 10 minutes until the onions begin to brown. Pour in 1 cup of red wine and ½ a cup of beef stock. Add the herb bouquet, cover and simmer for 40 – 50 minutes.
7. When the stew meat is tender remove the dish from the oven and add the mushrooms and the onions. Taste the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
8. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later serving. Reheat on the stove top for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. I usually serve this with egg noodles, green peas and some fresh homemade bread.

By Julie Kohl from Eggs and Herbs

Adapted from Julie Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Adapted from Julie Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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