It's the weekend after Christmas and I am relaxing at home for a very welcome 3-day weekend. Having time to relax and actually do some real cooking after eating a lot of quick pre-made store-bought meals is on the agenda. I'm planning on making a simple beef bourguignon tomorrow. The last time I made that dish I followed Rachael Ray's recipe using petite sirloin but I think I will go the more traditional route and let it cook low and slow all day tomorrow so the house is filled with the smells of roast beef, garlic, onions and wine. I like to serve it with buttered egg noodles with parsley, some crusty French bread, and maybe a salad or some steamed veggies on the side. And a big glass of red wine to wash it all down of course!
Braising lean tough bits of beef in wine and stock is a basis for lots of dishes. Beef Stroganoff is like the Russian cousin of Beef Bourguignon and both are basically fancy names for beef stew. In turn they are variations of the Provencal Beef Daube which is a hearty peasant meal of braised beef and vegetables in wine and stock. While there are a bunch of steps that go into the beginning of the dish, once you're past those the rest is just letting it do it's thing in the oven or on the stove for however long it takes. It even gets better after a night in the refrigerator so it makes for great leftovers or as a make-ahead meal that can be quickly reheated for your dinner!
From Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking:
As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carfully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.
This is
Ina Garten's recipe from Food Network:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
For serving:
Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.
So, what's for dinner at your house? And what awesome cooking stuff did you guys get for the holidays? I got 3 new T-Fal non-stick frying pans (8, 10, & 12" ones!), a Good Grips salad spinner, new kitchen shears, a bulb thermometer (which will be great for grilling!), 2 books by Michael Ruhlman which I've had on my wishlist for a while now: Ratio and The Essentials of Cooking, and the best coffee mug ever: