Sunday of this past week snuck up on me rather quickly. The first week back to work after vacation went by so quick. There was so much to catch up on that I didn't have time to really research a good first recipe to attempt. I was forced to cheat a bit and used a recipe from a cooking class that I had recently taken. It was a modified beef bourguignon by Julia Child. All that is really cut down is the cooking time, but surprisingly enough, the tenderness was not sacrificied as a result! Our friends' Katie and Matt came over for dinner and Katie and I attempted the recipe together. I am quite the nervous nelly when it comes to cooking meat, but luckily Katie is an expert and singlehandedly saved us all from eating overcooked meat :-)
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
1 pound pearl onions, peeled
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy
1 stalk celery
4 parsley stems
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/2 bottle Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône or Cabernet
1 cup beef stock
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley, rough chopped
1. Heat a heavy pot with a lid over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the seasoned beef in flour just to coat. Using the same pan you cooked the bacon in, increase the heat to medium high, and add some grapeseed oil if the pan seems a bit dry. Sear the beef in batches until caramelized on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, and cook until caramelized, about 6-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook an additional minute.
5. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping free any browned bits, known as fond. Reduce the brandy by half.
6. Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaves onto the celery stalk. Add this herb bundle to the pot, along with the seared beef, wine and stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
7. Half an hour before the beef stew is done, add the carrots and cook until tender. Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the parsley and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
1 pound pearl onions, peeled
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy
1 stalk celery
4 parsley stems
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/2 bottle Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône or Cabernet
1 cup beef stock
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley, rough chopped
1. Heat a heavy pot with a lid over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the seasoned beef in flour just to coat. Using the same pan you cooked the bacon in, increase the heat to medium high, and add some grapeseed oil if the pan seems a bit dry. Sear the beef in batches until caramelized on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, and cook until caramelized, about 6-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook an additional minute.
5. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping free any browned bits, known as fond. Reduce the brandy by half.
6. Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaves onto the celery stalk. Add this herb bundle to the pot, along with the seared beef, wine and stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
7. Half an hour before the beef stew is done, add the carrots and cook until tender. Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the parsley and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve
