Boeuf Bourguignon

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

6 oz bacon (slab if possible)

3 Tbs olive oil, divided

3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2" cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs flour

3 cups full-bodied, young red wine

2 - 3 cups beef stock or canned beef bouillon

1 Tbs tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1 recipe Oignons Glacés à Brun

1 lb fresh mushrooms (cremini preferred) 

4 Tbs unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F, place rack in bottom third of the oven.

Cut the bacon into lardons (sticks) 1/4" thick crosswise to the streaks of fat and meat.  Blanch (simmer) the bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.  Drain and pat dry.  

In a deep Dutch oven or a stove and oven-safe casserole, sauté the bacon in 1 Tbs of oil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.  Remove to a large bowl on the side with a slotted spoon.  Reheat the fat until it is almost smoking before sautéing the beef.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels.  Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.  As the beef is browned, remove it to the bowl with the bacon and continue sautéing the beef until all is browned.  

In the same fat, brown the sliced carrots and onions, adding them to the bowl with the bacon and beef when they are softened and have some color.  

Drain the sautéing fat and discard.

Return the beef, bacon and vegetables to the pan and toss with the salt and pepper, then sprinkle on the flour.  Stir all well to coat the flour evenly, then place the pan in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes.  Toss the meat and return it to the oven for an additional 4 minutes.  This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.  Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.  

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is just barely covered.  Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs.  Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, then cover and set the pan in the lower third of the preheated oven.  Regulate the heat so the liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  the meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and Oignons Glacés à Brun.

Clean the mushrooms, trimming the end of the stem but leaving the stem intact.  Quarter the mushrooms if large, otherwise halve them or leave the smallest caps whole.  Sauté the mushrooms in 4 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs olive oil until lightly browned and the liquid has released.  Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, then remove to a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, prepare the Oignons Glacés à Brun and set aside when done.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the pan into a sieve set over a bowl to catch the juices.  Return the beef to the pan and stir in the cooked mushrooms and Oignons Glacés à Brun.  

Skim the excess fat off the sauce.  In a saucepan, simmer the sauce for a minute or two, skimming off 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 to thicken.  If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of beef stock or bouillon.  taste carefully for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.  Return the sauce to the pan with the beef and stir to coat evenly.

Serve with buttered noodles, boiled potatoes or over rice.

Note:  A 6 or 7-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven such as Le Creuset is perfect for this dish.  I have a large 13.25-quart Le Creuset pan I have named Julia in honor of Julia Child, which I use when making a double-batch of this recipe.