Boeuf Bourguignon ala Julia Child

Just yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and since we're both homebodies, I've decided to bring a French Bistro atmosphere in the comforts of our home with Julia Child's classic French recipes.

For our main course, I attempted to make her most famous Boeuf Bourguignon using a bottleful of Cote du Rhone as the base of this hearty stew. As I meticously followed her detailed steps and precise measurement of each of the ingredients, I must say, Julia really knows how to make things right!

This is by far, the best beef stew I've ever made in my life. The only thing I didn't do was to boil the bacon rind. I used some wild boar bacon for this recipe, which I love and gave such a strong and smoky flavor to this savory dish. My husband and I really love this stew...everything were incorporated well, making the meat so tender and juicy, while the thick sauce was bursting with flavor! I'll definitely make this recipe again! Superbly magnificent!

I served this over buttered egg noodles with slices of french baguette, dipped in olive oil and maple syrup balsamic vinaigrette and roasted garlic. Mmmm...Mmmm...Mmmm good!

Bon Appetit!

P.S. The recipe below is adapted from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook...

Ingredients:
6 ounce chunk of bacon
1 Tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
3 lbs of lean stewing beef (cut into 2 inch cubes)
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups of full-bodied young red wine (Bourjolais, Cote du Rhone, Burgundy)
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
blanched bacon
18 to 24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock
1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter
Parsley sprigs for garnishing


Directions:

Remove rings, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer ring and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Saute bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour.

Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole, and turn oven to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon ring. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.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 bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should ahve 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 of stock or bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

(*) Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.For immediate serving, Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 mintues, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving, when cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.