Tougher cuts of beef can be prepared in a number of ways to render them juicy and flavorful, but perhaps none is more famous than the method Julia Child demonstrated in her first episode of Public Television's the French Chef way back in 1963. Now you may be scared off by the French name but it really refers to beef prepared in the style of the peasants that lived in the Burgundy region of France. If peasants can prepare this dish, so can you!
Like most places, the less fortunate in life had to make do with the less desirable (less tender) parts of the meat and I'm sure this is what developed the cooking techniques that evolved. And as wine was plentiful in Burgundy, it became a key ingredient in preparing this classic dish.
The dish bears some resemblance to other beef dishes like Classic Yankee Pot Roast and Old Fashioned Country Roundsteak. Beef stew also shares techniques with this hearty meal, as the meat is cut into pieces and cooked in a sauce for tenderizing. The key elements here are browning the meat first, then cooking it in liquid slowly for 3-4 hours. Many variations on this theme will work, and you need not follow Julia's classic technique to the letter for a successful dinner, so long as you remember the key elements. I strongly suggest using red wine, onions and mushrooms, but you may omit anything that doesn't suit your taste or add carrots or other vegetables for flavor.
As you can see in my photos, I did serve it with the classic boiled potatoes and as she suggests, I also added the mushrooms just at the end so they 'don't disappear into the sauce'. The meat does come out fork tender and packed with flavor. Cutting into large chunks to begin with renders smaller, nice sized pieces for serving, each coated all around in that silky flavorful sauce. I did use a good Burgundy wine as she suggests, but I've had equal success with all good hearty red wines when making this classic dish. If for some reason you don't wish to use wine, substitute with 50/50 beef/chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces (170g) bacon, roughly chopped
3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) beef brisket, trimmed of fat (chuck steak or stewing beef) cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
12 small pearl onions (optional)
3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine
2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 beef bullion cube, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)
2 bay leaves
1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.
In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bullion and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms:
Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.
Place a colander over a large pot (I do this in my clean kitchen sink). Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbs.
Return the beef mixture back into the Dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.
Remove any fat off the sauce( if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly.
If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate.
The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
I just made an old favorite this weekend, beef stroganoff. When I was a kid my mom made it with flank steak. I made it the original way with filet and boy was it amazing. Rare and tender and amazing. I have tried playing with cuts in recipes, switching good for lower cuts. I want to try a Bourguignon next. The trick is to use a lesser cut to flavor the sauce like oxtails and then add the filet at the end. Best of both worlds and fun to play with.
ReplyDeleteMust say though, her original is pretty amazing. Lovely job. There is never enough good Burgundy!