Julia Sunday Night Dinner!

Hello again friends. The subject of this post has already been blogged about by other people, but that doesn't mean I can't follow suit! This is the first Julia (but not the last ohhhh no) recipe that I've done for SND. Mr. B. gave me Volumes I and II of Julia et al's masterpiece a while ago, and I've been waiting for the perfect time to make..... Boeuf Bourguignon. Guhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh it was sooooo gooooooooood. I INSIST you make this right now. It really is the Ultimate SND. Start to finish it took me a good four hours and me oh my was it worth it.

So, BB. This is a multi step process. I'm going to tell you how I did it, and it probably wouldn't hurt you to look up Julia's recipe if you're going to make it as I'm writing this from memory.

First things first - you gotta boil some bacon. What what what, you say! I know. Bizarro. But Julia knows what she's talking about people. If you don't boil the bacon, the smokiness will overtake the flavor, and this dish is a symphony of flavors not to be overpowered by one (albeit delicious). So chop up half a packet of bacon (6 ounces) into lardons around an inch wide. Simmer the bacon for ten minutes and then drain.

Ooh! Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees! Now!

You need to use a oven and stove-top proof pan for the majority of the cooking. I used a smaller dutch oven, but anything that will hold 5 or so cups of liquid plus the meat and veggies will do. It needs to have a lot of surface area for browning, so no saucepans/kettles. Pour in a three count of olive oil and fry your boiled bacon for around five minutes - render some of that fat and get it lightly browned. Take the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on some paper towels.

Next you need the main attraction: the beef! Use three pounds of 'stewing' beef. I got mine at Costco, and it was already cubed into 2" cubes. Thanks Costco! You're the bestest. Before you toss the beef into the hot pan, pat each piece dry with a paper towel - it won't brown if it's damp. Brown the beef in the bacon fat in shifts until you have some nice color on all sides. I was sorely tempted to salt and pepper these, but that comes later - I promise. Trust me and Jules. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Again using the same fat, brown one sliced onion and one sliced carrot. This took about seven minutes or so over medium heat. If there is a ton of excess oil, drain that from the pan and return the beef and bacon to the pan. Toss everything with one teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper (I used a pinch more of both). Sprinkle on two tablespoons of flour and toss again. Set your pan on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven and roast for four minutes. Use a timer, my dear friends. That is a hot oven and you do NOT want to burn. After four minutes take the pan out and carefully give it shakey shake and put it back in the oven for four more minutes.

Remove the pan and turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Add three cups of Chianti (insert Silence of the Lambs reference here), and around two cups of beef stock. Pour the wine in first, and then pour the beef stock in until the meat is juuuuuuuuuuust covered. Then add one tablespoon of tomato paste (I added a bit extra, prolly a tblsp and a half, sorry Jules), 2 minced cloves of gahlic, 2 teaspoons of thyme (I took it off of the stems and roughly chopped) and a crumbled bay leaf. Bring this pot o'delicousness to a simmer, cover, and put in the oven. The rack should be in the lower third of the oven this time. This should cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Be sure to check on it often - you want the liquid to simmer NOT boil. If it's boiling turn the oven down until you reach a nice simmer.

Whew! That's a lotta work, right? Well friends you are about halfway done. You can take a breather at this point and enjoy a glass of wine and some nibblies. Don't rest too long though because you've got braised onions and sauteed mushrooms to make!!

Okay, so watch your timer. The braised onions take about thirty to forty minutes, so plan accordingly. Lovely Julia says to use 18-24 pearl onions. I used 24 and fervently wished for more later. They are soooooo delicious that I'll probably use forty or so next time. You can use fresh pearl onions if you so desire, but they are kind of a pain in the ass to peel (drop into boiling water for 2-3 minutes; drain; cut of the tops and peel). I used frozen pearl onions that are already peeled! Hurrah! I just took them out of the freezer as I began to prep, and they were thawed by the time I was ready for them.

Back on track: melt 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a three count of olive oil. I'd say over medium heat, and use a frying pan that has a cover. Drop in your baby onions with a little salt and pepper, and roll those guys around until they brown. As Julia says, "You cannot expect them to brown uniformly". That cracks me up, I don't know why. Anyhoo, after you've browned your onions lightly, add 1/2 cup of beef stock and (this is a Dana addition) 1/3 cup red or white wine (I used white cause that's what I drink). Cover the pan and lightly simmer those beauties for thirty for forty minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Mushroom time! These take no time at all, so cook them when the meat has ten or fifteen minutes left. You need 16 ounces of mushrooms for this - I used porcinis but you could go with shiitake as well. Clean them by wiping the tops lightly with a damp towel and quarter. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a three count of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Don't let the butter burn, but get it nice and bubbly. Add your mushrooms with some salt and pepper and toss in the pan to get everyone nice and coated with delicious butter. Use a wooden spoon if you don't have the frying pan food toss down yet (it took me a little while and some spilled food, but it sure is fun!). Keep the mushrooms moving so they don't burn, but do get some good color on them - this will take ten or so minutes. Finely mince one shallot and throw in the pan for the last minute of cooking. Remove everything from the pan and set aside with the braised onions for later.

All righty....we're getting there!! After about two hours in the oven, test your meat with a fork - it should pierce the beef easily. If it's not tender enough, back in the oven it goes. If it is....you're so close to done! Strain the contents of the pot into a saucepan, then put the meat and vegetables back into the pan. Add the braised onions and mushrooms on top of the meat. Skim the fat off of the top of the sauce (or use the handy dandy fat separator gadget from Crate and Barrel!). You should have around two and a half cups of sauce, and it should coat the back of a spoon. If it's too thin, you can boil it down a bit - but I'm too impatient for that. I put around a third of a cup of beef stock in a bowl with a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch and whisked it together, then added it to my simmering sauce. It tightened right up. If your sauce is too thick, add some more stock. Taste for seasoning, then pour the sauce back over the meat and vegetables. Top with some chopped parsely and whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa you're done! Eating time! Oh man I promise all this work is worth it.

I served this amazing-ness with some boiled potatoes - just some new potatoes boiled until soft, drained, then tossed with a little butter (ha, more butter) and salt. I put the potatoes down first in a bowl, then smothered with the meat/veggies/sauce. And enjoy!

Srsly, please try this. Yes, there are a lot of steps - but the end product is so satisfying and happy making. Even more so since it took lots of hard work to make. As always kittens, let me know how it turned out and if you added/changed anything.

BFF,

D