Boeuf!

Julia Child made it a household dish, within the reach of even the most modest home cook and now it has come to my house to stay!
The Daring Cooks Challenge this month was Boeuf Bourguignon (pronounced like one of the sounds of a punch on the1960's Batman show with Adam West), or you can call it beef stew if you Americanize it a bit.  But really, it is not just any beef stew, it is a silky, flavorful stew that makes your heart happy.





I have made many stews in my time but have, for whatever deep psychological reason, always been intimidated by beef bourguignon.  I have a Guinness beef stew that is to die for.  This challenge was a long time coming opportunity to do something that made me nervous.  I found a recipe that I was intrigued by, got all of the ingredients, being sure to add a few of my own little twists, and set to work.


I started with some salt pork that I had leftover from another recipe and cooked it down instead of bacon.  This in the end was a good decision because it gave me these larger chunks of bacony flavor that added to my personal well-being.  The beef was a standard stew meat that just yearned to luxuriate in a nice warm bath for a long time to help it relax a little.  I have never used pearl onions and I must admit that the preparation required for fresh ones made my innards shiver so I tried using frozen pearl onions and I was very happy with the outcome.  I caramelized them with some cremini mushrooms and I could have eaten a giant bowl of just those two things and been happy.


Seriously!  Look at how good those look!  The onions were a little sweet and a little oniony and the mushrooms were.......I am drooling so I need to move on.


When a new Daring Cooks Challenge comes out I have a routine in which I dive deeply into the internet and find 3-5 recipes for the same dish that vary wildly.  I then contemplate each one and pick out things that sound good to me, then I mix and match till I get something new.  This challenge was no different.  I found recipes that used a beurre manie and some that did not, some that had only carrots, beef and onions and some that added mushrooms.  So I chose ingredients that suited my tastes and went from there.


I decided to try the stew two ways and see what happened; first I did not use a beurre manie and the outcome was still beautiful but more brothy than gravey-like.  The beef and other ingredients were lightly coated in the flavorful, slightly viscous liquid but the stew was missing that stewy, gravey feel that I love.  

Beurre manie it is!  Look at the difference.  Silky smooth and covering every morsel with it's gravy goodness.  I tasted it both ways and, though it was great before it had the thick gravy, I definately preferred it with the, perfect for a warm slice of bread to dip, sauce.

One more look at the before and after...

I served the Boeuf Bourguignon over a baked golden potato and it was scrumptious!  Thanks to Fabi of Fabsfood for giving me the opportunity to make something that has always intimidated me and, as always, go check out all of the Daring Cooks who did what they do!


Beef Bourguignon recipe

Our May 2012 Daring Cooks’ hostess was Fabi of fabsfood. Fabi challenged us to make Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic French stew originating from the Burgundy region of France.

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