I have not posted a thing! I am sorry... but I have been busy cooking. On Sunday, I made Beef Bourguignon. I looked up the recipe in Julia Child, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and I looked at my Grandmother's notes she had made on that recipe. She also had a copy of Ina Garten's recipe tucked in there. I read over both recipes and then recalled the way I saw it on Anthony Bourdain's Techniques Episode and decided I'm going to combine the two. So, here is what did.
On a side note: this will not take 8 hours. I know my Aunt Chauna tried out the Julia Child way and it took her awhile. In addition to this side note, I do not have a photo. I am very sorry.
Beef Bourguignon - Mimi's way (takes about 2 - 2.5 hours total)
3lb Cubed Beef for stewing or chuck beef, each piece patted dry with a paper towel (I buy the pre-cut stuff from the butcher or the store)
1 chopped Walla Walla Sweet Onion or something similar
3 large garlic cloves minced
Bouquet Garni of Parsley, Thyme, and Bay Leaf all tied up with kitchen twine (Fresh is best)
3 strips of bacon, sliced up into 1" pieces
5 small carrots, I cut them in half length wise and then each stick in half - so they look like big sticks
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons of flour
1-2 cups water
1/2 a bottle of Cote De Rhone, or Bordeaux, or Beaujolais
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, cook the bacon. Once bacon is browned, remove from the pot and set aside. Next brown the cubed pieces of beef. You don't want to crowd the pot, so brown them in 3 batches: brown the first batch, remove from pot and then salt and pepper the cooked beef - repeat 2 more times. You will notice the bottom of the pot starting to brown - do not be alarmed.
Once you are done browning the beef, add the 2 tablespoons of Olive oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and cook until it starts to caramelize, which will be quickly because of the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the butter, garlic, and carrots and stir together until butter is melted. Next add the beef cubes and bacon back into the pot and sprinkle the flour over top. Stir it all together with the onion and garlic mixture. Add the water (about 1 cup) to the beef a little at a time so that you are continuing to deglaze the pan, removing all of the brown bits from the bottom, stirring until it starts to become similar to a gravy (but a bit thinner). Add 1/2 bottle of wine, then poor yourself a glass if you have not already. Add more water (about another cup) until it barely covers the beef. Last, stir in the tomato paste and tuck the bouquet garni in amongst the stew. Cover and simmer at medium-low for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, uncover and give the stew a quick stir, put the cover back on and transfer the pot to the oven for 1 hour or until the beef is tender. Once done, remove the bouquet garni before serving.
Serve with caramelized brussel sprouts, boiled potatoes and french bread.
