Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon
A French classic and our favourite dish from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, we bring you a slightly simpler version of Boeuf Bourguignon.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 723kcal
Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon slab cubed or cut into lardons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 lbs stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 3 cups red wine
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Brown Braised Onions
- 24 pearl onions pearl or cipolla (outer skin removed)
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
Butter Sautéed Mushrooms
- 1 lb mushrooms quartered
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°f. Dry off beef with a clean cloth or paper towel. This will ensure it browns properly.
- Using a french oven or braising pan, saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes until just browning. Remove and place in a casserole or bowl and set aside.
- Bring the pan with bacon fat back up to heat, until almost smoking. Add beef, a few chunks at a time and brown on all sides. Place them with the bacon and repeat until all beef is browned.
- Using the same pan with the fat, saute the carrots and onion for about 6-7 minutes. Discard any additional fat and return the bacon and beef to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the mixture with flour and stir to coat. Place in the oven for 4 minutes. Carefully toss the mixture and return to the oven again for an additional 4 minutes. Remove and lower heat of the oven to 325°f.
- Stir in wine and add enough beef stock to just cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove then cover and place in oven to cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Check after 20 minutes to ensure you are getting a soft simmer. While beef is cooking, prepare the brown braised onions and mushrooms.
- Onions - Preheat a small frying pan and melt butter with oil. When the butter begins to bubble at onions and saute on moderate heat for 10 minutes, shaking the pan to get them to brown as evenly as possible. Add beef broth and herbs, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes. If there is still a lot of liquid, remove lid and allow to evaporate.
- Mushrooms - Preheat a frying pan and melt butter with oil. When foam subsides from butter, add mushrooms and saute for 4-5 minutes, tossing and shaking the pan. The butter will absorb and 2-3 minutes later will reappear and mushrooms will begin to brown. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
- After the meat has been in the oven for 2 ½ hours, check the doneness. The beef should be easily pierce with a fork. If it needs more time, give it another ½ hour and remove from oven.
- Pour the mixture through a sieve over a medium saucepan. Clean the french oven/pan and return the meat to it. Distribute the onions and mushrooms over the meat.
- Skim any fat off the remaining liquid in the saucepan. There should be about 2 ½ cups. Add beef stock if necessary. Simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Garnish with parsley.
- Serve with potatoes, bread, rice, or noodles.
Nutrition
Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 569mg | Potassium: 1710mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2106IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 7mg