Farm Kitchen - Boeuf Bourguignon

When it is cold outside I crave warm food with SERIOUS flavor.  Like hardy soups and stews that simmer for hours.  Foods whose scent slowly builds into something so tempting that your mouth is watering long before the meal is ready to serve.  I’m talking about Boeuf Bourguignon.

I believe that French cooking is the epitome of farm cooking.  French cooking is based on simple, farm fresh foods that are cooked to perfection, low and slow, for a deep and complex taste.  French cooking doesn’t have to be difficult but it often takes time.  Boeuf Bourguignon is not a dish that should be rushed.  In fact, I highly suggest cooking it the day before you plan to serve it.  As it rests overnight in the fridge the flavors will intensify. 

I first made Boeuf Bourguignon a few years ago just before the Julie and Julia book and movie craze hit hard.  I had read the book before it became the cool thing to do and, having been a fan of Julia Child since childhood and since my name is Julie, I felt compelled to have my own little Julie and Julia adventure.  My husband and purchased me Mastering the Art of French Cooking and I began experimenting with many of the recipes.  Boeuf Bourguignon was the first thing I made.

This recipe is based on Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon.  While it is mainly the same I have streamlined it and made a few changes to the recipe based on modern ingredients and product availability.  If you are a foodie or have a foodie friend I would highly recommend purchasing Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Your friends and families tummies will thank you!

Before I give you the recipe for the Boeuf Bourguignon - take a good look at that picture above.  See that bread? It is HOMEMADE yeast bread that I made start-to-finish in UNDER an hour! And it was delicious!  You can head over to my blog to see the recipe! Here is a link: Fresh Baked Bread in UNDER an hour.

Boeuf Bourguignon

¼ pound of bacon
3 ½ tablespoons oil, divided
5 ½ tablespoons butter, divided
3 lbs. stewing beef
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
18-24 broiler onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons flour
4 ½ cups of a good red wine (I used Burgundy but Chianti is also a favorite)
3 cups beef stock
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced with a micro plane
2 Bundles of fresh herbs (I use thyme, oregano, bay and rosemary)
Fresh Parsley for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Chop the bacon and brown in a medium to large enameled cast iron Dutch oven until crisp.  Remove the bacon and set aside.  Add one tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat.  While the oils heat up dry the stew meat with a towel to remove excess moisture the sauté the meat a few piece at a time until it is browned on all sides.  Remove and add to the bacon.

Next sauté the carrots and sliced onion in the bacon fat until they brown and begin to soften.  There is no need to cook them all the way through now.

Add the beef and bacon to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the mixture with 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat.  Place the Dutch oven, uncovered into the oven for 4 minutes.  Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 additional minutes.  Remove the casserole from the oven and turn the temperature to 325 degrees.

Add 3 cups of wine to the dish plus enough beef stock to slightly cover the meat.  Add tomato paste, minced garlic and herbs to the mix and bring to a simmer.  Cover the dish and return to the 325 degree oven for 3 hours.  The meat should pierce easily with a fork.

While the beef is cooking in the oven place 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into a lidded skillet.  Once the butter has melted and foamed, add one pound of quartered mushrooms.  Sauté the mushrooms 5-6 minutes until they begin to brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the skillet.  Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until the onions begin to brown.  Pour in 1 cup of red wine and ½ a cup of beef stock.  Add the herb bouquet, cover and simmer for 40 – 50 minutes.

When the stew meat is tender remove the dish from the oven and add the mushrooms and the onions.  Taste the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for later serving.  Reheat on the stove top for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

And there you have it? Time consuming? Maybe.  Difficult?  No. And I guarantee that once you sink your teeth into the first bite you will not regret a single minute spent in the kitchen.

I usually serve Boeuf Bourguignon with buttered egg noodles, green peas, and some bread.  Enjoy!

Julie Kohl writes her own blog Eggs and Herbs…wherecreativity meets the farm, where she concentrates on her love for cooking and crafting on her small Arkansas farm. Julie is also one of the founding members of Arkansas Women Bloggers, an online and real-life community where women bloggers can Gather, Grow and Connect.