Yesterday Caite woke up and went to sleep watching Julie and Julia, which got me in the mood for somethinn French. Rich and bold flavors like I like, all building on each other for a tower of flavor in the finished goods. I caught the movie on the same part when multiple characters are cooking beef Bourguignon and commenting how amazing or, “YUMM” it is. The part was really annoying and even made some dinner conversation last night. So I thought I would put Julia’s bourguignon to the test. I’ve made a couple versions of bourguignon, which is basically just a classic French beef stew, with nice deep flavors that develop while cooking this beast for a total of about four and a half hours. But I wondered if there was a real difference between my own version, Tyler Florence’s take and the classic according to Julia the giant. Would this version make everyone instantly say without hesitation, “YUMM?” Theres a lot that goes into cooking this boy, but it all pays off when you sit down to scraf.
Wakening up this A.M. I had short ribs on the mind, but they are usually either small at ShopRite which is no good considering you want big slabs at least 4X4 when it comes to shot ribs. So I went with something along the same lines in a way, as far as cooking methods go. Braising (low and slow) is my favorite cooking technique and creates many of my favorite meals. I’m not the only one that loves the tender meat with rich sauce, grandma and aunt Sue love braising, the choice cooking method whenever they come over for Sunday dinna.
When cooking I usually stray away somehow from the recipe I’m following. Whether it’s changing some spices up, using different cuts of meat or a mix in veggies. Tonight however, I’m paying full homage to the recipe and not messin with a thing, everything done in the exact order the exact way in the exact form, did I mention I was doing the recipe EXACTLY as it was printed. I figured that this way I could truly see if this recipe was worth uttering the words, “YUMM” (which if you know me, and if your reading this you must; words like “YUMM” are not in my vocabulary).
Because the bill was a little high today and I’m trying my best to come in under budget (to avoid eating spaghetti Os for the last week of the month) so I bowed an used Swanson beef stock rather than fresh (beef bones can be a little more than chicken bones and I don’t use beef stock as much as chicken). So heres the recipe and done Julia’s way not my own.
Boeuf Bourguignon
6 OZ chunk of bacon
2 TBS EVOO
3.5 LBs lean stewing meat cut into 2 inch cubes (Rump pot roast is the 1st choice followed by chuck pot roast or either top/bottom round)
1 Sliced carrot
1 Sliced onion
1 TBS Salt
¼ TBS Pepper
2 TBS Flour
3 C full-bodied, young red wine such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or a Chianti)
2 to 3 C of Beef Broth/Stock
1 TBS Tomato Paste
2 Cloves smashed garlic
½ tsp fresh chopped thyme
Bay leaf
Blanched bacon rind
18-24 small white onions (a pack of pearl onions)
1 LB Quartered fresh white button shroms
1. Remove the rind, (which is any white fat) and cut the bacon into lardoons (sticks that are ¼ inch thick and 1 ½ inches long). Simmer the rind and bacon for 10 min in water, drain and dry. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Sauté the bacon in the oil over med. heat for two to three minutes to a light brown in casserole dish. Remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon. Set the casserole dish off the heat for a min, then back on the heat until the fat is almost smoking before adding the beef.
3. Dry the beef well, sauté a few pieces at a time getting a nice golden char on all sides, once done add it to the bacon on the side.
4. In the same fat add the sliced onions and carrots, pour any fat out once the veggies are nice and browned.
5. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on one TBS of flour and toss, then another TBS and toss again. Set the dish in the middle position of the oven uncovered for four minutes. Take out and stir it up then return to the 450-degree oven for another four minutes, this lets the flour adhere to the beef and giving it a nice crustiness. Remove the dish and turn the oven down to 325.
6. Stir in the wine and enough stock to barley cover the beef. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and return to the 325 oven in the lower third position for 2 ½ to three hours. When the meat is easily pierced by a fork its ready.
7. While the beef is cooking you can prepare the onions and shrooms and set aside until needed.
8. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole dish into a sieve (fine mesh strainer) set over a sauce pan. Whip out the pan with a paper towel to get rid of the bottom fat. Return all the beef and veggies back to the casserole dish and add the cooked onions and shrooms over the meat.
9. Skim any fat off the top of the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat, there should be about 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly, if too thick add some more stock. TASTE and season, then pour over meat and veggies in casserole dish.
10. Cover the dish and simmer for two to three minutes giving it a couple of stirs. Serve over some buttered and lightly sautéed noodles (I like the medium yolk free Manischewitz noodle style pasta).
The Shrooms:
2 TBS Butter
1 TBS EVOO
½ LB Fresh washed white button shrooms
2 TBS Minced shallots
1. Place skillet over high heat with butter and oil, once hot and bubbling add the shroms. Toss and shake for four to five minutes until they have begun to lightly brown.
2. Toss the shallots with the shrooms and sauté over med heat for two minutes, if made ahead just reheat when needed, then season.
The Onions
18-24 peeled white preal onions
1 ½ TBS Butter
1 ½ TBS Oil
½ C Brown beef stock
Herb Bouquet: 4 parsley springs, bay leaf, and a couple thyme springs tied together with butchers twine.
1. To remove the onionskins dump them in a pot of boiling water for three minutes then strain, then add to a bowl of ice water. Cut off the root end then slide off the outer layer by squeezing toward the cut root end.
2. When the butter and oil are bubbling in a skillet, add the onions and sauté over med heat for about ten minutes giving then a gentle shake so they don’t fall out of their skin, don’t expect to brown them uniformly.
3. Pour in the stock and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are tender but retain their shape and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the bouquet, then set aside or add them right away.
This dish is a long and time consuming process, but one that is really rewarding throughout and in the end. Appreciate the process, enjoy getting the perfect brown caramelized crust on all the beef pieces, and really toss everything good when coating the dish in flour. I like to think about the generations of Frenchmen who have perfected this dish over centuries, their trials and tribulations, what they went through and what they saw. Food tells a lot about people. What the care about, what they love, where they’re from, and all around WHO they are. I had to run to the store after about half the cooking time had gone by. When I came home I took a deep cleansing breath before coming inside so I could get a really good 1st whiff when I came in… It was an amazing breath of delicious air. While I was out my dog Ross (haboo and its many versions to his friends) decided to take a bite of the forbidin fruit, the loaf of French bread hanging off the counter. Temtation got the best of him and when I came home I found only a few crumbs and a few ripped pices of the bag on the floor. Nedeless to say he was put in the doghouse and Chris had to pick up a fresh loaf on his way home.
Julia knows her stuff, I’m going to have to start using the birthday present “Joys of French Cooking 1 & 2” more often. Everyone was a member of the clean plate club; two fold. There was little conversation tonight because everyone was way to busy eating. I guess this recipe is the new beef stew stand by and will be revisited, maybe with a twist or two added to it. The next recipe in the book is basically the same recipe but Belgian style where you braise in beer rather than the traditional French wine, throw in a little brown sugar and you’ve got a mask for the bitterness of the beer and some vinegar added to give some character at the end.
Everything went according to plan today/night, I even had time to take a few pics with Chris’s pro camera. Pops had no comments just a clean plate after dinner but later in the night I was told to make mayo chicken tomorrow night, something nice and bland to father’s liking. So its already set tomorrow is THE myth, THE legend… THE MAYO CHICKEN. It’s a strange one whose origins are unknown, but its an old Whitehouse standby. Until then, Smell ya later.
LOL!!! you are so awesome :)
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