Julia Childs Boeuf Bourguignon Demystified
- 6 ounces, weight Bacon
- 3- 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
- 3 pounds Lean Stewing Beef In 2" Cubes
- 1 pound Carrots
- 1 whole Onion, Sliced
- 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/4 teaspoons Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 3 cups Red Wine
- 2- 1/2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1/2 teaspoons Thyme
- 1 piece Bay Leaf, Crumbled
- 20 whole Pearl Onions, Peeled
- 2- 1/2 Tablespoons Butter, Divided Use
- 1/2 cups Beef Stock
- 1 pound Mushrooms, Quartered
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- Cooking Directions:
- Note: You will need a dutch oven for this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Saute bacon in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
- Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
- Dry beef cubes in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp.
- Heat some of the fat trimmings in your casserole dish until almost smoking.
- Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and saute until nicely browned on all sides.
- Remove to a side dish.
- In the same fat, brown the sliced carrots and onion.
- When done, pour out the excess fat.
- Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly.
- Set casserole dish uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.
- Toss the meat again and return to oven for an additional 4 minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust).
- Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
- Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
- Cover casserole dish and set in lower third of oven.
- Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours.
- The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
- (Please note I had to lower the heat to 200 to keep it from boiling, so periodically check the beef.)
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
- Braised Onions: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining oil until bubbling in a skillet.
- Add onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible.
- Be careful not to break their skins.
- You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
- Add 1/2 cup of beef stock, salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but still hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated.
- My liquid never evaporated, but the onion were tender.
- Set aside.
- Mushrooms: Heat 1 Tablespoon of butter over high heat, add mushroom and saute.Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes.
- As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
- When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
- Heat the sauce until it is reduced it should lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- Return the beef and veggies to the pan.
- Add onions and mushrooms to beef.
- Pour sauce back into pan, and heat for 2-3 minutes.
weight bacon, olive oil, carrots, onion, salt, pepper, flour, red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, pearl onions, butter, beef, mushrooms, salt
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/julia-childe28099s-boeuf-bourguignon-demystified/ (may not work)