BEEF BOURGUIGNON
The movie "Julie and Julia", a story about two women, one of them was Julia Child, who shared the same passion for french cuisine, inspired me to repost this popular dish called "Beef Bourguignon". It is french beef stew, which I have tried and tested in my kitchen in May 2007. Here's my posting:
Friday, May 18, 2007
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
4 to 4 1/4 pounds beef chuck - 2" cubed
8 ounces bacon - 1/2" sliced
2 cups sliced onion
1 cup small Roma tomatoes - cut coarsely
1 cup carrots - peeled and sliced 1/2"
4 cups fresh Champignon (button) mushrooms - cut in half
24 pieces pearl onions
1 bottle red wine
3 cups beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 spice bag of Bouquet Garni
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons butter (for thickening sauce)
4 tablespoons olive oil (for browning bacon, beef, onions, tomatoes, and carrots)
2 tablespoons olive oil (for braising pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms)
3 tablespoons butter (for braising pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms)
Bouquet Garni:
If you do not have a spice bag, you can make one by cutting three layers of 4" square from a cheesecloth. Wrap all small herbs in. Tie into a bundle with a kitchen twine.
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
After one hour, pour the sauce of the beef stew (in the casserole) to another pot but put a colander on top to collect the pieces of beef. Scrape the casserole with a rubber spatula of any residue and pour in the pot with the sauce. With a tong, pick the beef pieces only (without any residue) and put back in the casserole. Strain the collected sauce in the pot and pour back in the casserole with the beef pieces and simmer to reduce amount of sauce. Try to mash well (use a potato masher)the remaining residue in the strainer by adding about 3 cups of sauce from the casserole. Pour and strain sauce from mashed residue back to the casserole. Discard residue. Slowly add 3 cups sauce from casserole to the paste made in step 2 and mix well to make a thick sauce. Pour back sauce to the casserole through a sieve to filter any lumps. Fold in browned pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms and simmer for a few more minutes.
*Inspired from Julia Child's (Online)
*Edited by author 02/01/2011
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
4 to 4 1/4 pounds beef chuck - 2" cubed
8 ounces bacon - 1/2" sliced
2 cups sliced onion
1 cup small Roma tomatoes - cut coarsely
1 cup carrots - peeled and sliced 1/2"
4 cups fresh Champignon (button) mushrooms - cut in half
24 pieces pearl onions
1 bottle red wine
3 cups beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 spice bag of Bouquet Garni
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons butter (for thickening sauce)
4 tablespoons olive oil (for browning bacon, beef, onions, tomatoes, and carrots)
2 tablespoons olive oil (for braising pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms)
3 tablespoons butter (for braising pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms)
Bouquet Garni:
In a spice bag (you can buy these bags from stores), put all the herbs below and tie well:
1 teaspoon thyme or 3 sprigs thyme (cut to fit the small bouquet Garni bags)
6 to 8 cloves
1 big bay leaf (break into 4 pieces)
3 cloves garlic - smashed
8 sprigs flat parsley (cut into 1")
1 teaspoon thyme or 3 sprigs thyme (cut to fit the small bouquet Garni bags)
6 to 8 cloves
1 big bay leaf (break into 4 pieces)
3 cloves garlic - smashed
8 sprigs flat parsley (cut into 1")
If you do not have a spice bag, you can make one by cutting three layers of 4" square from a cheesecloth. Wrap all small herbs in. Tie into a bundle with a kitchen twine.
Step 1:
Brown bacon with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Then transfer to a casserole, leaving the oil in the pan. In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown cubed beef on all sides. When brown, transfer to the casserole. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add one tablespoon olive oil in the pan, and brown sliced onions until transparent. Then, add tomatoes and carrots, and brown for about 3 minutes. Then, transfer to casserole. Deglaze pan with red wine and pour liquid in the casserole. Add 2 cups beef stock, one spice bag of Garni Bouquet, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then simmer for one hour or until tender but not mushy when pricked with a fork.
Step 2:
While the beef stew is simmering, work on the mushrooms and pearl onions for garnishing: Braised mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan under medium heat until they sweat. Set aside. Braised pearl onions in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan under medium heat until it becomes transparent. Set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in medium-low heat and add 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Mix well and blend to a paste.
Step 3:
After one hour, pour the sauce of the beef stew (in the casserole) to another pot but put a colander on top to collect the pieces of beef. Scrape the casserole with a rubber spatula of any residue and pour in the pot with the sauce. With a tong, pick the beef pieces only (without any residue) and put back in the casserole. Strain the collected sauce in the pot and pour back in the casserole with the beef pieces and simmer to reduce amount of sauce. Try to mash well (use a potato masher)the remaining residue in the strainer by adding about 3 cups of sauce from the casserole. Pour and strain sauce from mashed residue back to the casserole. Discard residue. Slowly add 3 cups sauce from casserole to the paste made in step 2 and mix well to make a thick sauce. Pour back sauce to the casserole through a sieve to filter any lumps. Fold in browned pearl onions and Champignon mushrooms and simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve with potatoes, french bread, peas, etc.
Preparation and Cooking Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours
Servings: 4 to 6
Servings: 4 to 6
*Inspired from Julia Child's (Online)
*Edited by author 02/01/2011
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