Beef Bourguignon
We all know that absolutely unique and incredibly funny lady, Julia Child...
We all know that absolutely unique and incredibly funny lady, Julia Child, who started a food revolution in the United States and brought her passion for cooking à la française to millions of homes. French cooking is all about technique, which is often much easier than it sounds... It is as if French chefs have chosen these complicated words "flambage", "deglasage", "roux" as a secret code language for some very simple culinary actions. Without Julia, no one would have thought that the cheapest cuts of meat and a bottle of wine could be turned into a masterpiece in her iconic Beef Bourguignon. And when you see her cooking it in the old videos, it seems almost effortless, driven by her enormous enthusiasm... But as we all know, there was so much work behind it. Her radiant, unusual personality has always been one of my greatest inspirations. Conveying the genuine, overwhelming joy of spices, stews, whisks and butter is also my great value and ambition.
I've adapted the original recipe for beef bourguignon to the reality of our modern times, made it a little simpler, and the result is like a very good song, rhyming beef, red wine, pearl onions and mushrooms, which is essentially what the French call "bourguignon" – this very long, almost unpronounceable word means just that: to combine these four ingredients together.
INGREDIENTS:
🥓 6 oz (170 g) bacon, roughly chopped
🥩 3 lb (1360 g) beef chuck, cut into 2-inch/5cm chunks
🍄 10 oz (300 g) button mushrooms
🥕 2 carrots
🧅 14-16 pearl onions
🧈 2 tablespoons butter
🧄 4 garlic cloves
🍅 1 tablespoon tomato paste
🌾 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
🥣 3 cups (700 ml) beef stock
🍷 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, Pinot Noir
🌿 1 bay leaf
🌱 2 sprigs of thyme or 1 teaspoon dry
🧂 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
🌶️ 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
🌿 3-4 sprigs of parsley for serving (optional)
🍴 Kitchen utensils: A large (at least 7 liter) ovenproof pot with a lid - alternatively you can cover the pot with tin foil - 2 large bowls, a spatula, kitchen tweezers, a chopping board and a knife.
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Start by cutting 170g (6oz) of the bacon into strips. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes golden and crispy. Transfer the bacon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.