I wanted the party to feel opulent, so I went all out on a cheese tray with accompanying preserves and whole-grain mustard. There was a bounty of wine, crackers, and conversation to compliment the cheese tray. For the meal, I served an arugula salad with Bosch pear and bleu cheese with a citrus vinaigrette, followed by Beef Bourgignon served over buttery mashed potatoes. My sweet friend Lauren brought two beautiful and delicious Lemon Tartes for dessert. I loved preparing the food and I thoroughly enjoyed eating it in my makeshift banquette hall. I don't know why it took me so long to do it and I cannot wait to do it again. It revealed a deeper level of my passion for food - cooking for the people I love in MY home. It was euphoric.
Apparently, my guests enjoyed eating the food nearly as much as I enjoyed preparing it! I have received several requests for my Bourgignon recipe so I thought I would share it with all of you. I wish for this dish to become more than just a meal as you bring it into your own homes. My hope is that you would gather the people you love around the table, break bread, and savor the time spent with the people who make your life what it is and, more importantly, make you who you are. Peace.
Beef Bourgignon
***There may be people out there who believe this to be something other than Bourgignon because it is too simple; I don't care. It is beef with wine - taste it and forget about what it is called.Before I begin, I want you to forget about how this dish has been turned into some lofty, expensive, pretentious French culinary work of art, only to be mastered by the likes of Julia Child. It's bullspit. This dish was first made by farmers in the french countryside using the meat that wasn't good enough to sell and wine they probably made themselves. The amount of cooking time is always directly related to the quality of the cut of meat. This cooks for 2.5-5 hours. That means crap meat. Don't worry about buying the 'best' of any of the ingredients, just get what you can. I used the cheapest stew meat I could find and a bottle of Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon. (Two Buck Chuck seems so much fancier when you call it 'Charles Shaw'.) Okay, enough ranting. Let's get down to business.
What You'll Need: Serves: 6 (if served over potatoes)
2 lbs pre-cut stew meat (or a chuck roast, if you want to cut it yourself)
Salt and Pepper
1 stick unsalted Butter
3 large Onions
6-8 large Carrots
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 cup AP Flour
1/2-1 bottle Red Wine (I use the whole bottle unless I'm drinking some with dinner)
3 pints Beef Stock (not beef broth)
Fresh Thyme to garnish
>>>Sorry there are no pictures. I will upload them the next time I make it. For now, get those imaginations working.
Begin by bringing your meat up to room temperature. Cold meat does not cook evenly and sticks to the pan. Side note: to cook ANY meat, steak especially, to an even temperature throughout - bring it up to room temp. Then cut your beef to your desired bite-size. I like mine smaller than they cut stew meat in the store so I usually end up cutting them in half, to roughly 3/4 inch cubes. Place the meat in a bowl; salt and pepper liberally. Next, chop your veggies into pieces similarly sized to the meat. They don't have to be perfect. Remember to think rustic. Make sure your wine is open, your flour is out, and your stock is ready because once you get that pan hot, there is no going back.
Now heat an oven-proof pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add one quarter of the stick of butter. Allow the butter to begin to brown, then add half the meat. The key is to not over-crowd the pan, so as not to steam the meat in it's own juices. Think about a hot tub at a party; you may not mind sharing but you need your personal space. That's how your meat, or anything you saute, would like to be treated. Once the meat is browned well on two sides, remove it with a slotted spoon into a clean bowl. Repeat from the butter step for the other half of the meat and remove. Don't worry if it seems like the bottom of the pan is a little burned, it will taste delicious.
Next, add another quarter stick of butter and saute the vegetables. When you can really smell the onions, toss the meat back in and cover it with wine. This next step takes awhile so maybe pour yourself a glass of wine while you wait. Leave the pot on high heat and let the wine come to a rolling boil. You will see the alcohol evaporating out of the top. Let that continue until the wine is almost completely gone (Au sec, in french culinary terms *wiggles eyebrows*). Then add the last of the butter, sprinkle with the flour, add the dried thyme, and stir. Next, add the beef stock and cover. If you don't have a lid, tin foil will do. Remove the pot from the stove and place it in a preheated oven. Here is where some of your paths will differ: if you have 4-5 hours, cook it at 250 degrees. If you only have 2-3 hours, cook it at 350 degrees. The longer you can cook it at a lower heat, the more tender the meat will be. But it is still good if you only have a couple hours. When your time is up, the meat should be fork tender, the liquid should be think and gravy-esque, and you can remove it from the oven. Add the fresh thyme and serve. Voila! Was that so hard? Enjoy that feeling. You and Julia Child are practically the same person. Now, go eat. You can eat it by itself or with mashed potatoes, bread, or polenta. Just don't eat it when YOU'RE alone. Invite friends. Don't have friends? Make some! That is what a pot of meat and wine is for. Bon appetitte!
Sweetened Condensed Version:
What You'll Need: Serves: 6 (if served over potatoes)
2 lbs pre-cut stew meat (or a chuck roast, if you want to cut it yourself)
Salt and Pepper
1 stick unsalted Butter
3 large Onions, chopped
6-8 large Carrots, diced bite-size
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 cup AP Flour
1/2-1 bottle Red Wine (I use the whole bottle unless I'm drinking some with dinner)
3 pints Beef Stock (not beef broth)
Fresh Thyme to garnish
1. Bring the stew meat to room temperature. Salt and pepper generously. Brown 1/4 stick of butter and add half of the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Repeat for the second half of the meat.
2. Add 1/4 stick of butter and saute vegetable until the onions become aromatic. Return the meat to the pan.
3. Add the wine and reduce to au sec (almost dry). Add remaining butter, dry thyme, and flour. Stir to combine.
4. Add beef stock, cover, and place in the oven. ***250 degrees for 4-5 hours OR 350 degrees for 2-3 hours.
5. When the meat is fork tender, remove the pot from the oven and garnish with fresh thyme.
Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or by itself. Enjoy!
