Over the last few weeks the weather has been so nice and so hot that the thought of cooking up a big meal in the oven or on the stove top was anything but enticing. For the most part I've also been too sore to do much of a production for a meal anyhow. The last few days, with new meds and good therapy, I’ve been feeling more like myself. I decided with the cloudy, not too hot, grey day, I would make something I haven’t had in a long long time, Beef Bourguignon! I set out with a couple of ideas in mind, a book from school and of course, google. I located a few different recipes, one of which was Julia Child’s version. I tweaked it a little and came up with a lovely dish! Here is the recipe for you to enjoy! (This is enough for three to four people!)
4 pieces of bacon, uncooked, diced
olive oil
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups red wine, deep and rich (and something you would drink!)
3 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
20 small white pearl onions
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
Handfull of snow peas
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté bacon in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon.
Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides.
Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the onions and carrot. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole 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 casserole 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 coves the meat with a light crust).
Remove casserole and turn oven down to 300 degrees.
Stir in wine and 2 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 casserole and set in the oven. Simmer very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
During the last hour of cooking, prepare the onions, mushrooms and snow peas.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Dump in all the onions, skins on, and boil hard for 1 minutes. Plunge into a bowl of cold icy water. This will help peel off the skins easily! Remove from the water and set aside in a paper towel -lined bowl.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add white pearl onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper, a little more thyme and another garlic clove minced if you wish. Simmer, uncovered until the onions are tender but still hold their shape and all of the liquid has evaporated.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. Add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
Return the beef, bacon and carrot back into the casserole. Add the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Sauté the peas and add as well.
Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for 1-2 minutes, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.
Pour sauce back over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes to combine everything. Serve with potatoes, noodles or rice!
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