I was inspired to make....yes....Boeuf Bourguignon. I've never made it before, but it looked delicious and they certainly enjoyed eating it in the movie. Cook's Illustrated provided the recipe. Now I've made it and I will tell you....
It is the best thing I've ever cooked and the best thing I've ever eaten. Bar none. Unctuous comes to mind. It takes quite some time to make, but not too much hands-on. It goes into the oven for several hours. I highly suggest serving it with some good bread (NOT a loaf of sandwich bread!!!). Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day is a good one and very easy.
Read through the WHOLE recipe and make a shopping list FIRST. This is NOT tonight's dinner!!! Don't forget the cheesecloth!!!
Beef Burgundy
Serves 6
If you cannot find salt pork, thick-cut bacon can be substituted. Cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and treat it just as you would salt pork, but note that you will have no rind to include in the vegetable and herb bouquet. To make this dish a day or two in advance, see “Advance Preparation of Beef Burgundy,” below. Boiled potatoes are the traditional accompaniment, but mashed potatoes or buttered noodles are nice as well.
You will need cheesecloth for the “bouquet”!!!
Beef Braise
6 ounces salt pork, trimmed of rind, rind reserved, and salt pork cut into ¼”x ¼” x 1” pieces
10 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, torn into quarters
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
2 medium carrots, chopped coarse
1 medium head garlic, cloves separated and crushed but unpeeled
2 bay leaves, crumbled
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed (optional)
4 - 4¼ lbs beef chuck roast, as much fat and silver skin removed as you possibly can (pull it apart if you need to!), cut into 2” chunks and patted dry
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 bottle red burgundy wine (750 ml) or Pinot Noir
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Onion and Mushroom Garnish
36 frozen pearl onions (about 7 ounces)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
10 ounces white mushrooms, whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large (I quartered all mine – we don’t LOVE mushrooms, so I wanted to make them smaller without adding cooking time)
2 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring salt pork, reserved salt pork rind, and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Boil 2 minutes, then drain well.
2. Cut two 22-inch lengths cheesecloth. Lay them out in an “x” shape, then put parsley, thyme, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, porcini mushrooms, and blanched salt pork rind in cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine and set in 8-quart nonreactive Dutch oven. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. Set 12-inch skillet with salt pork over medium heat; sauté until lightly brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to Dutch oven; pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat and reserve. Season beef with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and brown half of beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes; transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.
4. Return skillet to high heat and add 2 teaspoons reserved pork fat; swirl to coat pan bottom. When fat begins to smoke, brown remaining beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes; transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.
5. Set now-empty skillet over medium heat; add butter. When foaming subsides, whisk in flour until evenly moistened and pasty. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has toasty aroma and resembles light-colored peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and 1½ cups water; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened. Pour mixture into Dutch oven. Add 3 cups wine, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste to Dutch oven and stir to combine. Set Dutch oven over high heat and bring to boil. Cover and set pot in oven; cook until meat is tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours.
6. Remove Dutch oven from oven and, using tongs, transfer vegetable and herb bouquet to strainer set over pot. Press out liquid into pot and discard bouquet. With slotted spoon, remove beef to medium bowl; set aside. Allow braising liquid to settle about 15 minutes, then, with wide shallow spoon, skim fat off surface and discard.
7. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally to ensure that bottom is not burning, until sauce is reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 15 to 25 minutes.
8. While sauce is reducing, bring pearl onions, butter, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water to boil in medium skillet over high heat; cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, shaking pan occasionally, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and simmer until all liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and vegetables are browned and glazed, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large plate and set aside. Add 1/4 cup water to skillet and stir with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. When pan bottom and sides are clean, add liquid to reducing sauce.
9. When sauce has reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, reduce heat to medium-low; stir in beef, mushrooms and onions (and any accumulated juices), remaining wine from bottle, and brandy into Dutch oven. Cover pot and cook until just heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling individual servings with minced parsley.
Advanced Preparation
Follow recipe for beef Burgundy through step 5. Using tongs, transfer vegetable and herb bouquet to mesh strainer set over Dutch oven. Press out liquid back into pot and discard bouquet. Let beef cool to room temperature in braising liquid in dutch oven, then cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 days.
With slotted spoon, skim congealed fat off top and discard. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring to simmer; with slotted spoon remove beef to medium bowl and set aside. Simmer sauce briskly, stirring occasionally to ensure that bottom is not burning, until reduced to about 3 cups and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream.
Continue with recipe from step 8.
No comments:
Post a Comment