Sunday, October 7, 2012

JULIA CHILD'S BOEUF BOURGUIGNON


This has been ONE CRAZY WEEK for me.  I look forward to visiting all of you on Monday!

Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon

While this recipe is a little time consuming, it is not difficult.  If you haven't tried this recipe, you will thank me.  Such a perfect dish for this cool October weather. ENJOY!
Ingredients
         1 6 ounce piece chunk bacon
         3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
         3 pounds lean stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
         1 onion, sliced
         Salt and pepper
         2 tablespoons flour
         3 cups red wine, young and full bodied
         3 cups beef stock
         1 tablespoon tomato paste
         2 cloves mashed garlic
         1/2 teaspoon thyme
         1 bay leaf, crumbled
         20 small white onions
         3 1/2 tablespoons butter
         herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
         1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

            Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.
            Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon.
.                4

            Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
.                5

            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 uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
.                6

            Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover casserole 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.
.                7

           While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté 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 the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.
.                8

            Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. 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.


            Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for 1-2 minutes, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

            Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.
IF YOU MISSED
Teresa
xoxo

19 comments:

  1. Wow, Teresa, thank you for sharing this! It looks and sounds amazing!

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  2. Teresa...this is one our all time favorite comfort foods! I love this recipe and can attest many times over as to how scrumptious it is and how worth any time that it takes to prepare it is!! Happy weekend to you.

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  3. I have made this and it is just fabulous! 39 degrees as I'm reading...wouldn't it taste good today?? Thanks for sharing!
    Nancy

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  4. yum! ..now back to my can of soup.

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  5. Hello Teresa! This recipe is perfection! Did you see the film Julie and Julia? I just wrote a post on being a new blogger and included a clip of the scene where Julie has a complete meltdown in the kitchen. Blogging, cooking.... Fun and challenging stuff! Enjoy your weekend!
    Cheers, Heather
    Http://www.stylemindchic.blogspot.com

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  6. We make this all the time, especially as the weather turns cooler. I don't know anyone who doesn't like it. Happy Fall, T !!!

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  7. This is my mother's all time favorite dish to make for us! It sums up deliciousness and comfort food for sure! Have a great weekend!

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  8. The perfect meal for this time of year! Looks wonderful.

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  9. Such a a Fall comfort dish! Thanks for much for sharing, have a great weekend!!
    XO Karolyn

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  10. I used to make that all the time when I first got married! Now Im allergic to red meat from a tick bite this summer! so will have to pass, but love a pot full of roasted vegetables. Hope you're having a good weekend Teresa.
    xo Nancy
    Powellbrowerhome.com

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  11. Was so inspirational the post, that I have been in the kitchen today cooking! Smells fantastic, my children cant wait! Serving it with buttered egg noodles and haricots vert!
    Thanks for the idea!
    Jamie Herzlinger

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  12. Oh my gosh, that looks just fabulous!

    Only one more day for my give away! Please enter if you haven't!

    Vividhuehome@blogspot.com

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  13. Teresa the weather is perfect for this very special dish, which we always serve with crescent rolls!

    Xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  14. Oh my gosh, that sounds so good. Looking forward to making soups and roasts. Perfect for cold weather.

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  15. yum!!!!
    i am sending the recipe to my mom.

    xox

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  16. Hi Teresa...I've tried this recipe many times and it's heaven. I love this cooler weather so I can break out soup, pasta and risotto recipes.

    Enjoy your Holiday weekend!
    XXX
    Debra~

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  17. I love Julia Child's and this dish!! You cannot go wrong here!!!

    www.donnaviningblog.com

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  18. I've never tried any of Julia's recipes and this looks like a great place to start. Right up my husband's alley, too!

    www.chattafabulous.blogspot.com

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  19. This makes me think of Julie and Julia!? I can't wait to make this when it gets a little cooler!

    Christy

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