Beef Bourguignon
August 26, 2009 | Print | E-mail | Filed under beef, French, vegetables
I’ll admit it. After watching Julie & Julia, aside from being completely enamored with Julia Child, I had one thing on my mind – the beef bourguignon. I HAD to make it, and this past weekend, I had my chance. Hubby’s brother came to stay with us, so I had the perfect excuse to entertain with this wonderful dish. And, am I glad I did…we all were. It was the best beef stew any of us have ever had. Served along with mashed potatoes and some crusty artisan bread, we were in heaven. Please make this as soon as possible! While time-consuming, it’s not hard, so don’t be intimidated. Here’s what you’ll need:
Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck.
For the stew:
- 6 ounces bacon
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 sliced carrot
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups young red wine
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves mashed garlic
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- Blanched bacon rind
- Fresh parsley
For the onions:
- 24 small white onions
- 1 and 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 and 1/2 Tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup water
For the mushrooms:
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp oil
For the mashed potatoes:
- 5 russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the rind off the bacon, and then cut it into lardons (sticks that are 1/4″ thick and 1 and 1/2″ long).
Simmer the rind and the bacon over medium heat for about 10 minutes in 1 and 1/2 quarts of water. Drain, then dry the bacon. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for about 2-3 minutes. Once brown, remove to a paper towel.
Cut the beef into 2 inch cubes. Reheat the fat until it is almost smoking.
Dry the beef with paper towels, as it won’t brown if it’s still damp. Sauté a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat just until browned on all sides, then remove it to a side dish.
Cut up the carrot and onion.
Then, brown them in the same fat. Pour out the fat when you’re done with the vegetables.
Put the beef and bacon in the casserole dish, and toss with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the flour, and toss to coat. Set the casserole dish, uncovered, in the oven and cook for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and then cook for 4 minutes more. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir the wine into the beef mixture, along with enough stock so that the beef is barely covered. Add in the vegetables, tomato paste, herbs, garlic, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on the stove, and then cover the casserole dish and set it on the low shelf in the oven. Cook for about 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions. Heat the butter and onions in a skillet over medium heat, and then sauté the onions for about ten minutes, stirring frequntly to brown evenly.
Pour in the water and sprinkle on some parsely and other herbs if desired. Cover and simmer on low heat for 40-50 minutes or until the onions are tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Next, prepare the mushrooms. Cut them into quarters.
Heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat, and then add in the mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until they have browned lightly, and then remove them from the heat.
Make the mashed potatoes. After 3 hours or when the meat is tender, remove the casserole dish from the oven.
Pour the contents of the casserole dish into a mesh strainer set on top of a saucepan. Wash out the casserole dish, and then return the beef and bacon to it. Pour the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. Then, skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should end up with about 2 and 1/2 cups of sauce to pour over the meat and vegetables.
To serve, cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce. Serve decorated with parsely and over mashed potatoes.
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August 26th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Oh, didn’t you LOVE the movie?!? Please tell me you cried a little like I did.
This recipe has been on my brain, too. Someday….
Yours looks beautiful! Yay, Julia!
August 26th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Thanks for the recipe and the step-by-step photos. I’m almost finished with the book and looking forward to seeing the movie.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Looks great!
I so LOVED this movie and can’t wait for the DVD to come out. I wanted to turn around and watch the movie again as soon as it was over!! I laughed and yes, I cried too.
I love a good stew so this dish is in my plans too – soon as the first hint of fall hits south Mississippi!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Bridget, I loved it!! Sometimes I laughed so hard that I cried…my favorite scene was when Julia was home after cooking school with the huge pile of onions, haha.
Monica, you’ll love the movie!
Mary, I know what you mean; I’ll be putting the movie on my Christmas list this year.
Definitely try this as soon as the weather cools down – it was amazing!
August 26th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I can’t believe I still haven’t seen the movie! I blame it on having relatives in town for the past couple of weekends. This dish looks so yummy and I love the step by step photos!