I did it! i finally made the famous Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. Since i am new in french cooking i followed the recipe exactly as written in the book. I must say that It´s not easy but it´s not difficult either. The result is heavenly!
It is explained in the book that Beef Bourguignon is served with boiled potatoes (traditionally), buttered noodles or steamed rice. I think mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or bread should be fine :-).
So here is the recipe:
Beef Bourguignon (Beef stew in red wine, with bacon, onions and mushrooms)
Adapted from Mastering The Art of French Cooking Vol.1 by Julia Child.
6 ounces chuck of streaky bacon
1 tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
3 lbs. lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
1 ounces flour (about 2 tbsp)
1 ¼ pts (about 2.5 cups) of a full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
3/4 to 1 pts. ( 1 ½ - 2 cups) brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock (recipe here)
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter (recipe here)
1. Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 2 ½ pints of water. Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, Mark 8 or 230 degrees centigrade.
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
4. Dry the beef; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees F, Mark 2 or 170 degrees centigrade.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Leave them aside until needed.
9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 1 pint (about 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 of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
For serving later: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmering point, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
