Beef Bourguignon and Post Holiday Blues

If you are like me and get a little sad after holidays are over, then I know what your week has been like.  When I come home, there are no more twinkling white lights to greet me as I pull into the driveway.  There is no more scent of pine or shimmering red and green decorations in the living room...and that makes me sad sometimes.

I still have my apple pie and cinnamon scented candles out and light them all when I come home from work.  It looks like a Cathedral most nights, and I take in every minute of it.  The warmth and scent makes me happy.

On New Year's Day it was very cold and I wanted something warm, as I still wasn't feeling 100%.  I had the entire day ahead of me and thought it would be a good day to take on Julia Childs' Boeuf Bourguignon...and my instinct was spot on!

Everyone once in their lifetime needs to try and make Julia's famous Boeuf Bourguignon.  It will give you a great sense of accomplishment (not to mention an incredibly satisfying meal).  It does take some time, so don't plan on whipping this up when you get home from work on a Tuesday evening...you will be eating at midnight!

This version makes a substantial batch that even my husband and I couldn't finish it, including taking to work for lunch leftovers.  I ended up freezing half the batch.  We are scheduled for another storm this weekend, so I think it's the perfect time to bring out the remaining batch, warm it up and serve with a nice bottle of red wine and crusty french bread.

Stay with me on this because it is so worth the time, care and attention to every step and ingredient.

Enjoy!


Beef Bourguignon
Courtesy of Epicurious.com


YIELD: 8 servings ACTIVE TIME: 1 1/4 hr TOTAL TIME: 4 1/4 hr

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 pound thick-sliced bacon
3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
4 fresh parsley stems (no leaves)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves 
2 cloves
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône)
1 pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling onions or pearl onions
1 pound mushrooms, quartered if large

Accompaniment: peeled boiled potatoes tossed with butter and parsley

Special Equipment:  kitchen string (and cheese cloth, optional)

PREPARATION:
Cook bacon in boiling salted water 3 minutes, then drain.

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour and beef between 2 (1-quart) sealable
plastic bags, seal, then shake to coat meat.

Heat 1‚ tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining ‚ tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.

Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy to pot. Deglaze by boiling over high heat 1 minute,
stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour over beef.

Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet
garni (tuck cloves into celery so they don’t fall out). You can also tie all these in a cheese cloth pouch, for ease.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté
bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots, then sauté, stirring, until onions
are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, meat
with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4
hours.

While meat simmers, blanch boiling onions in boiling salted water 1 minute and drain in a colander.
Rinse under cold running water, then peel.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides,
then saut boiling onions, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and
pepper. Add 2 cups water (1 1/2 cups if using pearl onions), then simmer, partially covered, until
onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a
glaze, 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam
subsides, then saute mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is
evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes.Remove bouquet garni and skim any fat
from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooks' Note:
Boeuf bourguignon may be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered (it tastes even
better made ahead because it gives the flavors time to develop). If making ahead, it's easier to remove
fat from surface after chilling.

One Year Ago: Potato, Bacon, Mushroom, and Gorgonzola Pizzette
Two Years Ago: No Post
Three Years Ago: No Post
Four Years Ago: Orange Olive Oil Cake
Five Years Ago: Black and White Parfaits and Martinis