French Double Date

“I enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food…” – Julie Child

Boeuf Bourguignon, for years I have heard people udder these words with praise and never understood why until I had my first forkful. This French stew contains; melt in your mouth beef, gently cooked in a marinade of smoked bacon lardons, shallots, mushrooms, carrots and French Burgundy wine. Say no more, I am sold.

I learned to make this dish from Julia Child’s book, so she is my source. She offers several variations of Boeuf Bourguignon in her cookbooks, I followed the recipe from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. This dish is rich, intense and utterly delicious. The best part, it is easy to make. Although easy, it does take some time so make this dish on a weekend or prepare yourself to eat at 9 o’clock.

This week’s, date night was a double date. So Beef Bourguignon was a perfect dish. My Husband and I were able to cook the dish prior to our guests arrival so we could sit back and relax once they arrived. When we started cooking we were both a little hungry so it was slightly tortuous as the house filled with the aroma of wine, butter and bacon. Through this I learned a valuable lesson, never cook with your husband when you are both hungry. Have snacks near by for those hangry (hungry-angry) moments!

We paired the Beef Bourguignon with a French Châteauneuf-du-Pape meaning “New Castle of the Pope”. It is one of the premier winemaking regions on the southern end of the Rhone Valley. Mainly consisting of Grenache and Syrah, these wines can also have Mourvedre, Cinsault, Picpoul, Terret, Counoise, Muscardin, and Bourboulenc. The best Chateauneuf-du-Papes should contain higher amounts of Grenache and Syrah. They can be pricey but every so often you will find an inexpensive bottle that will be worth a try, so keep your eyes open. The Le Fiarre Châteauneuf-du-Pape had black cherry and spice notes that dominate, with hints of vanilla. It was not an overly intense wine, with low tannins, which paired well with our French comfort food.

Another reason why Beef Bourguignon is a great meal for entertaining is that it has a nice price tag associated with it. To serve four people the cost is roughly 40 dollars. This price can vary depending on the type of meat and wine you add to the dish. Julia recommends the following meats; beef chuck roast, round roast, or other similar cut. Bon Appétit!

Beef Bourguignon (Using Julia Child’s Recipe) 

Serves 4-5

150 g 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
2 cups beef stock or chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
20 small white onions
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 parsley sprigs
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered

{Beef Bourguignon}: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Sauté bacon in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset)  over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon.

Heat fat in Dutch oven until almost smoking. Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Add beef and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Once browned, remove and set aside with the bacon. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat. Return the beef and bacon to the Dutch oven 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 the dutch oven 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 covers the meat with a light crust). Remove Dutch oven 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 the Dutch oven and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 2 ½ – 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

{Oignons Glaces A Brun}:  heat butter and oil over med-high heat in a large skillet until bubbling, then add onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions to brown on all sides.  Lower the heat and add in the beef stock, salt, pepper, and bouquet garni.  Let onions simmer for 30-40 minutes, covered, until soft and tender.

{Champignons Sautes Au Beurre}:  heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over high heat.  When butter and oil melt and the foamy bubbles subside, add the mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the mushrooms brown lightly, then set aside.

When the meat is tender, distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.