Beef Burgundy

The Sunday recipe this week is Julia Child's Beef Burgundy. It is a true labor of love. It is not hard but it definitely takes all day. If you have company coming on a winter night, I can think of no better way to greet them then with the smells of this delicious dish wafting out the door when you open it. Or, if you just feel like staying in and cooking something delicious, make a commitment and give this dish a try. Don't rush, follow each step exactly and don't try to take shortcuts. When you are finished you will have a fantastic meal and you will be a better cook for learning the techniques involved. It will truly be worth your while.


Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

6 oz chunk bacon; with rind
1 tb olive oil; or vegetable oil
3 lb lean stewing beef; cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot; sliced
1 onion; sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tb flour
3 c red wine; see Notes
2 c brown beef stock; up to 3, or canned beef bouillon
1 tb tomato paste
2 cloves garlic; mashed
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf; crumbled

*** BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS ***

18 sm white onions; up to 24, peeled
1 1/2 tb butter
1 1/2 tb oil
1/2 c brown stock; or canned beef bouillon, or dry white wine, red wine, or water (for braising)
salt; to taste
pepper; to taste

*** MEDIUM HERB BOUQUET ***

4 parsley sprigs 1/2 bay leaf 1/4 tsp thyme

*** SAUTEED MUSHROOMS ***

2 tb butter
1 tb oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms; washed, well dried
1 tb shallots; up to 2, minced (optional), (or green onions)
salt; to taste
pepper; to taste

*** GARNISH ***

parsley sprigs; for garnish

Instructions (Recipe may be completed in advance through step 13.)

BACON PREPARATION:

1. Remove rind from bacon. Cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1-1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry. If you are using regular sliced bacon, you can omit this step, which is used to draw some of the salt out of the bacon.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

3. In a 9-10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep, sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a sidedish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

BEEF PREPARATION:

4. Dry the beef in paper towels; 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 carrot and onion. Pour out the sauteing 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 the middle position of the 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.

7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato puree, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of the preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS (may be cooked in advance):

8. (Onions should be about 1 inch in diameter.) When the butter and oil are bubbling in a 9-10 inch enameled skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

9. Choose between braising and baking, below.

To Braise: 9a. (Make a medium Herb Bouquet by tying herbs in cheesecloth.)Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40-50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.(The onions may be cooked hours in advance, and reheated before serving.They may also be served as a side dish as they are, or added to a hotvegetable dish, or used to garnish a roast.)

To Bake: 9b. (Make a medium Herb Bouquet by tying herbs in cheesecloth.)Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in one layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350-degree F oven for 40-50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape,and be a very nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. (See 9a for alternate serving suggestions.

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS (may be cooked in advance):

10. Place a 10-inch enameled skillet over high heat with butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2-3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

11. (Optional) Toss 1-2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Season to taste just before serving.

CASSEROLE FINALE:

12. 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.

13. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimmingoff 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 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:

14a. Cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 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 LATER SERVING:

14b. When cold, cover and refrigerate. Do not cover before the casserole is completely cool or it will sour. (It also freezes beautifully.) About 15-20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Notes: The better the meat, the better the stew, allowing 1 pound of boneless meat, trimmed of fat, for 2 people (or 3 if the menu is large). First choice: rump pot roast. Other: chuck pot roast, sirloin tip, top round, or bottom round.

Wines: fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Emilion, or Burgundy.

From Julia Child's MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOLUME ONE, 1961, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,ISBN 0-394-72114-4 (pbk, vol. 1), pages 314-317, pages 483-484, and513.