Channeling Julia

This recipe has been sitting in the queue for far too long. I actually prepared it last summer while staying with my sister's family in Seattle. It is one of those dishes where you want to set aside a good majority of the day for the undertaking. Yes it is A LOT of work but the results are simply amazing. It's easily the second most delicious stew I've ever tasted; the cioppino at the Pink Door in Seattle is currently the 1st place holder. I was also reminded of the recipe because a member of my old wine club back in Boston made the dish for our reunion this past month.

Bon appétit!

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine)

This recipe comes courtesy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child et al. I have made a few modifications, most notably increasing the amount of vegetables called for from the original version. As for wine, I used a bottle of Casa Emma, a 2005 Chianti. The mushrooms and pearl onions are cooked separately and added prior to serving. See the end of this recipe for those directions.

Instead of serving over buttered noodles, you can also serve over rice or potatoes. Be sure to have a side of bread to soak up this amazing sauce!

Ingredients

6 slices of thick bacon (approximately 1/3 lb)

3-5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 lbs. rump roast, trimmed of fat cut into 2 in cubes (chuck roast or sirloin tip are also acceptable), and patted dry

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 in thick

1 onion, sliced into crescents

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

3 c. of a full-bodied young red wine such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Burgundy or Chianti (a full bottle of wine is about 3 1/2 cups)

2 to 3 c. of beef stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 large garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 bay leaf

4 parsley springs (plus some for garnish)

cheesecloth

18-24 small white pearl onions (about 1 inch in diameter), peeled

1 lb fresh white mushrooms (left whole if small, quartered if large)

Preheat oven to 450 °F.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 6-9 quart oven-safe casserole (or dutch oven) on medium heat and saute the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly brown. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon and crumble. Increase the heat on the dutch oven to medium-high until oil is almost smoking. Saute the beef (it is important that you dry the beef before placing it in the pan, otherwise it will not brown!), a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and add to a separate side dish.

In the same fat cook the sliced carrot and onion, on medium heat, until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove the vegetables and pour out any remaining fat (but be sure to leave any browned bits on the bottom of the pan).

Return the cooked vegetables and beef to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss again to lightly coat the contents. Set dutch oven, uncovered, in the middle position of the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 more minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove the dutch-oven and turn the oven down to 325 °F.

Stir in the wine and enough beef stock so that the meat is barely submerged. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and using a wooden spoon scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then cover and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 2-3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking. Prepare the onions and mushrooms (see recipes below). Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, use a slotted spoon to remove the solid contents from the dutch oven, leaving only the liquid. Combine the meat and vegetables (including onions and mushrooms) in a large bowl or serving dish (feel free to add back the bacon from earlier too, I like to add it this point because if it simmers with the beef, the bacon becomes very tough).

To the liquid, add any juice from the sauteed mushrooms or browned onions. Skim any fat off the surface of the liquid in the dutch oven, there should be approximately 2 1/2 c, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock.

For immediate serving: Top a bed of buttered egg noodles (cooked according to package directions, then tossed with butter) with the meat and vegetables, then spoon sauce over the dish. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

For later serving: Combine meat, vegetables, and sauce. Once cooled, refrigerate. Reheat on stove top gently simmering for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with sauce.

Champignons Sautes au Beurre (Sauteed Mushrooms)

It is critical that the mushrooms are dry, the butter is very hot and the pan is not crowded. If you crowd the mushrooms while cooking they will steam instead of fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So it's best to saute the mushrooms in 2 batches with a large 12 inch skillet.

Place a skillet over high heat with 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. As soon as the butter fom begins to subsite, add 1/2 lb of mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Repeat with other 1/2 lb of mushrooms and set aside with first batch.

Oignons Glaces a Brun (Brown-Braised Onions)

Combine 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 3 inch sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme) in cheesecloth and tie closed.

Place a 8 or 10 inch skillet over medium heat, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter and 1 1/2 Tbsp oil till the butter begins to bubble. Add the pearl onions, rolling gengly every minute so they brown nicely (will take approximately 10 minutes total). You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in 1/2 c. of beef stock and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape. Remove the herb bouquet, and combine onion and juices with sauteed mushrooms (above).