Beef Bourguignon

[bouche]

I just wanted to say that we're making a classic french stew, Beef Bourguignon, for dinner tonight. It smells so good right now. It has to frikken simmer for 2 hours. It's a cheap meal to make since you just use crappy beef that gets all tender, and on top of that, you need to use a little red wine, so you have to open up a bottle and not let it go to waste.

We're just following a classic recipe that starts with frying bacon and then some pearl onions in the fat. Then we remove all that and sear the beef cubes for some nice brown flavours in the rendered fat. Next, we sprinkle some flour onto the beef and then pour in the marinade (wine, onion, garlic, parsley , thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper) and some beef broth. I forgot to mention that you should marinate the beef cubes for a bunch of hours.

I think that's it. Then we'll add back the pearl onions, bacon and some sauteed mushrooms near the finish line. Serve it over some egg noodles with a side salad and we gots a thursday dinner (and some leftovers for lunch).

Does anyone make a good Beef Bouguingnon? I'd love to read other versions.

[rubberdinghy]

Aren't you supposed to flour the beef then brown it?

Also...peeling pearl onions is the biggest pain in the ass!

[headymamamyrna]

Beef Bourguignon

4lbs beef cut in cubes

2 large or 8 small onions

1 large carrot

1/3 cup flour

2 cups beef bouillon

1 cup dry red wine

1 lb mushrooms

2 cloves garlic ,thinly sliced

1 tblsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 shallots chopped

1/4 lb salt pork

Metl butter and 1 tblsp oil.Brown meat on all sides and remove from pan.Place in oven dish.Brown cut onions and carrots and add to beef ,add flour and let brown while stirring.Remove from heat.Add 1/2 cup bouillon,stirring constantly.Add a bit of wine.Stir until the sauce becomes smooth.Return to heat stirring continuously.When it boils add to beef.Add remaining bouillon,wine,garlic,tomato paste,salt,pepper and shallots.In another sauce pan place salt pork and cover with cold water.Heat to boiling point.Drain.Cut pork in cubes.In frying pan brown all sides without adding fat.Add to beef.Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours.30 minutes before serving add mushrooms lightly fried in butter.

[headymamamyrna]

Beef Bourguignon

1 1/2 lbs round steak cut in cubes

! can beef consomme,1 can water

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

3/8 cup butter

1/8 cup dry red wine

1/2 can mushrooms

1 onion

Melt butter,brown meat,remove and set aside

Mix water and flour,add consomme mix and add to melted butter

Add meat and wine and cook until tender

Add mushrooms and onions.Simmer until onions are soft.Cut carrots may be added.

Cook until tender about 2 hours.

[bouche]

Aren't you supposed to flour the beef then brown it?

Also...peeling pearl onions is the biggest pain in the ass!

I don't think you'll brown the beef if there's anything on it. The beef needs to be dry before it's added to the hot pan fat in order to get a good brown.

The flour just helps build up the sauce.

It was pointed out before by M.O.B.E. that blanching the pearls for a couple of minutes will allow peeling to be a breeze.

[M.O.B.E]

Im with Dinghy...except for the pearl onion part. Blanching them makes handling pearl onions so easy.

Flouring the beef before you sear it help to tenderize the meat. As the gluten's break down it helps to break down the protiens that hold the cells in the beef tight. Adding tomato paste also helps as the acids also help break down the meat and leave a nice colour and flavour to the sauce.

I like how you used the bacon first, thats classic and the 'lardons' of bacon also make for a tasty treat when you add them back in.

My recipe would be close to Myrna's first post, I would just add the ingrediants in a different order.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I've been called a lardon in my day

[ollie]

I've been called a lardon in my day

How many lardons would you have snacked on last night?

[M.O.B.E]

Beef Bourguignon

2-3lbs of cubed stewing beef

1 large onion- diced or about 3/4 pearl onions*

3-4 stalks of celery -diced

2-3 carrots - diced

1/2 lb of button mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic whole but crushed

4-5 strips of bacon- cubed

3 sprigs worth of fresh rosemary leaves -chopped

4-5 sprigs worth of fresh thyme - chopped

3-4 bay leaves

2 tbsp Tomato paste or 1 small diced, seeded tomato

2 cups of beef stock

1 cup of red wine or 1/4 cup brandy 3/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup of flour

3 tbsp of cold butter

Salt and pepper

Over medium-low heat in a large pot, render all the fat from the bacon. While the bacon fat is cooking out, season the beef with half of your chopped herbs, salt and pepper and all of the flour. When the the bacon has let off all the fat turn up the heat to high and add in the beef, the pearl onions and crushed garlic. As it starts to brown add the carrots, celery and mushrooms and season again with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and mix it in well. Let the tomato paste get good and brown and then add the rest of the herbs. De-glaze the pan with the wine and start to stir it all together. It will start to get gummy then add the beef stock in. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for at least 45 minutes. You can also transfer this to a dutch oven and cook at 350 in the oven for 1.5-2 hours or into a crock pot and leave it on low all day. When you are ready to serve it, bring it back up to a boil, add in the cold butter, remove from the heat and serve right away.

This goes perfect with duchesse mash potatoe.

* I like the red pearl onions, you can also buy them clean and frozen

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I've been called a lardon in my day

How many lardons would you have snacked on last night?

'Bet you put that question to all the guys

[bouche]

Flouring the beef before you sear it help to tenderize the meat. As the gluten's break down it helps to break down the protiens that hold the cells in the beef tight. Adding tomato paste also helps as the acids also help break down the meat and leave a nice colour and flavour to the sauce.

I can see your utilization of flour to help break down some protiens, but isn't that why we marinate the beef in wine, and add flavour with the herbs?

I did my research to confirm that the classic Beef bourguignon invites flour to the party AfTER the beef has been browned. I went as far as Julia Childs french method. I don't doubt that there are numerous ways since you can't go wrong with the end product of tender beef chunks in a rich brown sauce.

It reminds me of the old dog food commercials of the 70's and 80's that actually made me hungry. Alpo, Chuck Wagon, and Gains Gravy Train.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BBqgMQluDM

[headymamamyrna]

The first receipe I put up was from a french lady in Quebec!

[bouche]

I'm probably going to tap into those recipes that you posted. Knowing that they were printed in the 70's by some military french wives adds to the charm.