Boeuf A La Bourguignonne Julia Child's Recipe

Here is the recipe for Julia Child's
Boeuf A La Bourguignonne

6oz. chunk of bacon: Remove any rind and cut into sticks 1/4 inch thick and 1/2 inch long. Simmer the rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees

In a 9 to 10 inch casserole dish that is at least 3 inches deep and over proof, add 1T. of olive oil
Saute bacon for 10 min until browned lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

3 lbs. of lean stew meat ( chuck roast works very well)  If using a whole roast cut into 2 inch cubes. Dry meat completely, ( as Julia says, your meat will not properly brown if it is not dried well). Make sure it is NOT damp.

Reheat oil until almost smoking before adding beef.

Saute your beef a few pieces at a time until nicely browned on all sides. Once brown, add to the side dish with your bacon.

1 Carrot
1 Onion
Slice both of your vegetables  * I would suggest using 2 carrots, they cook down quite a bit, but Julia's recipe uses only one.

Once all of the beef is browned and added to the side dish with your bacon. Add your sliced onion and carrot to the oil which you browned your meats. Once the vegetables are browned, discard the sauteing fat.

1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 T. flour

Add your beef and bacon back into the dish, toss with the salt and pepper, sprinkle flour over the top and toss again to lightly cover meat. Set casserole dish, uncovered in the middle of the preheated oven for 4 min. Remove and toss meat, return to oven for another 4 minutes. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust. Remove casserole and turn oven down to 350 degrees.

3 C. of a full bodied young red wine.
2 to 3 C. of brown beef stock or canned beef bullion
1 T. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t. thyme
1 crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind


Stir in wine and enough stock or bullion so that meat is barely covered. Add in the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of stove. Cover casserole dish and place in the lower third of the preheated oven. Regulate the heat so it simmers for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

18 to 24 pearl onions brown braised in stock.
1 lb.quartered fresh mushrooms sauted in  butter.
While beef is cooking prepare your onions and mushrooms, then set aside until needed.

When meat is tender, pour contents of the casserole into a sieve over a saucepan. Rinse the casserole dish. Return meat to the casserole and distribute onions and mushrooms over the meat. Skim the fat off of the sauce and simmer sauce for a minute or two continuing to skim off fat as it rises. You should have about
 2 1/2 C. of sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. If too think boil down rapidly, if too thick add a few tablespoons of stock. Taste carefully for seasoning and pour stock over meat and vegetables.

If you are serving immediately, cover and simmer on top of stove for 2 to 3 minutes basting meat and vegetables several times with sauce. Serve in casserole dish or place on a platter and surround with potatoes, rice or noodles and sprigs of parsley.

If you are making ahead of time, when cooled, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, heat in casserole dish to a simmer, cover and simmer slowly for about 10 minutes, occasionally basting with sauce.

Well, there you have Julia's recipe for Boeuf A La Borurguignonne. I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone else has.