Beef Bourguignon

There is no denying that Julia Child mastered the art of French cooking. Her cookbook inspired so many people, including myself, to attend cooking school and pursue a career in the culinary arts. Her ability to “westernize” French food was a massive feat, opening our minds to the deliciousness and simplicity of French cooking.

Beef bourguignon is by far one of her most popular recipes, and it’s the one recipe I follow almost exactly as she would have made it. Using classic French cooking techniques, building layer upon layer of flavour, to create one of the most comforting beef stews. I’ve adapted it slightly- using whatever i’ve got in the kitchen, but I always adhere to the process of braising my onions and mushrooms separately. This is a great make ahead dish- it almost tastes better the longer it sits, and it freezes well if you don’t have more than two people to feed. My suggestion is to serve with mashed potatoes, or boiled potatoes with fresh parsley, however, some pieces of torn sourdough would also be great.

Beef Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms)

Serves 6

* Requires a 9-10” Dutch oven or ovenproof casserole dish with lid

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive oil

4oz pancetta, diced (or bacon)

3.5 Lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2” cubes

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups full bodied young red wine (Chianti works well)

2-3 cups beef broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 large stalk fresh rosemary or a small bunch of thyme

1 bay leaf

Fresh flat leaf parsley, to serve

Butter Braised Onions

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup beef broth

1 stalk rosemary

2 stalks of flat-leaf parsley

10 small pearl onions, peeled

Buttered Mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered

Method For the Beef Stew:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat until slightly brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Dry the beef with paper towel, otherwise it won’t brown. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, this is where flavour develops so take your time.

4. In the same fat from the beef, brown the carrots and onions, about 5 minutes.

5. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole dish, along with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the flour and toss to coat. Set the casserole dish in the middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return for a further 4 minutes. (This browns the meat and creates a nice crust, and the flour will help to thicken the sauce). Remove the casserole dish and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

6. Stir through the wine and enough stock to barely cover the meat. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove top. Take a large piece of parchment paper and wet it generously, scrunching it with your hands. Place the wet parchment directly on top of the beef stew, tucking it into the sides. Add the lid and place in the preheated oven for 2-3 hours until the beef is tender. Make sure you check on the beef every hour to see if more stock is needed.

7. When the meat is tender, if the sauce is too thin- remove the meat and veggies and reduce the sauce until thick then add the onions and mushrooms, tossing to coat. Otherwise, add the onions and mushrooms directly to the meat once it is removed from the oven, basting the meat and veggies with the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Method for the Onions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and brown, about 6 minutes, flipping them. Add the stock and herbs, cover and reduce to a low simmer, cooking for about 40 minutes until tender. Set aside.

Method for Mushrooms

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large fry pan. When the butter is foaming, add the mushrooms, tossing to coat. They will absorb most of the liquid, but given a couple more minutes, they will eventually begin to release their own liquid and brown. Set aside.

*If you want to serve this later, allow the stew to cool completely then cover and refrigerate. About 20 minutes before you want to serve it, slowly bring to a simmer, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Serves 6

Requires a 9-10” dutch oven with lid

1 Tbsp Olive oil

4oz pancetta, diced

3.5 Lbs lean