Hey Goober, Where’s The Beef? New Year’s Boeuf Bourguignon!

Happy New Year, darling readers. I wish you all the best in 2021! May this year be better than the last for you and yours.

Did you do anything special to celebrate New Year’s? We didn’t so much here. This was my first New Year’s Eve not working in a restaurant in I don’t know how many years, so the chance to take it easy and do absolutely nothing is one I’d have fought for even if it wasn’t being imposed upon us.

For starters, Liz and I put together a big whompin’ board of local charcuterie from our pals at Seed to Sausage. Alongside it was a slightly-less-whompin’ board of local cheeses, also purchased from S2S. Delicious, as always. And a perfect prelude of excess to what followed.

For dinner proper, I prepared a dish that is close to my heart, as well as the hearts of many other cooks, both professional and amateur. A dish that invokes imagery and terroir just with its name. Hailing from 19^th century France and made famous the world over by Julia Child; it’s boeuf bourguignon.

If you don’t actually know what it is, boeuf bourguignon can sound very intimidating, what with all the pomp and circumstance surrounding it. For all that mystique however, behind it lies a very humble dish, a stew at heart. And you guys know I love me a stew on a cold winter night.

That doesn’t mean this dish is a one-pot wonder, though. Part of the distinct pleasure of this dish lies in the textural differences you find in some of the garnishes. While the meat and aromatic vegetables bubble slowly away in their winey bath, fingerling potatoes, pearl onions, mushrooms and lardons are prepared separately. Adding them at the end keeps their identity separate and bright, providing bursts of flavourful, textural surprise in each bite.

There are as many different recipes for boeuf bourguignon as there are stars in the sky. From Julia Child’s classic interpretation in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to Thomas Keller’s perfection-at-every-step seminar in Bouchon. Which recipe is the real one? Who knows? Which is the RIGHT one? That’s a personal question for you, dear reader.

I’d like to share with you my recipe for boeuf bourguignon. For me it’s a perfect balance between some fancy, restaurant-style wizardry and good, humble home cooking. It’s the perfect recipe for me. Liz wholeheartedly agreed, and I’d like to think that Julia and TK would view it as a good compromise between their methods.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients:

• 4-5 slices thick-cut, dry-cured bacon sliced into lardons (thin matchsticks)
• 1 750mL bottle of Pinot Noir, preferably from Burgundy but nothin’ too fancy
• 680g (1.5 lbs.) boneless short ribs, cut into 1” cubes
• 454g (1lb.) stewing beef, cut into 1” cubes
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6-7 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed through a garlic press
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 14.1g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2” oblique chunks
• 2 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green part only, halved and finely sliced
• 5-6 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 3-4 sprigs rosemary, leaves only
• 710mL (3 cups) beef stock, give or take
• 227g (1/2lb.) fingerling potatoes, rinsed
• 454g (1lb.) button mushrooms, quartered
• 227g (1/2lb.) pearl onions, peeled
• 14.2g (1 tbsp) butter
• Pinch of granulated sugar
• 1 small bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

Method:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven begin to render the bacon over medium-low heat. Cook until the lardons are crisp and most of their fat has been rendered. Using a slotted spoon, scoop them out onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
2. Meanwhile, pour the wine into a medium sized saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the wine reduce in volume by about half, then set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Discard all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat (NOT down the drain, you heathens) from the pot. Add enough canola oil to film the bottom and heat over medium-high heat. Season the cubes of short rib and stewing beef well with salt. Sear in batches, getting good colour on as many sides as you’re able, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Place the seared beef cubes onto a plate to cool and set aside.
4. Discard all but roughly 1 tbsp of the beef cooking fat, reduce the heat under the pot to medium and add the onion with a large pinch of salt. Allow the onion to cook gently for about 10 minutes. A bit of colour is fine, but monitor the heat. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently scrape any caramelized bits off the bottom of the pot, adding a few drops of water if needed.
5. Add the shallots, garlic and 2 bay leaves to the pot. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the shallots have softened. Move everything to one side of the pot, and add the tomato paste directly on the exposed surface. Allow the paste to cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir together with everything.
6. Add the carrots, celery and leek, stirring well to combine and cooking for 10-12 minutes, allowing everything to soften. Tip the reserved beef and any juices from the plate back into the pot. Next, add the thyme and rosemary, stirring to combine.
7. Add the reduced wine to the pot, then add enough beef stock to just barely cover everything. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover and place in the oven until the beef is very tender, 2.5 – 3 hours.
8. Meanwhile, finish the garnishes. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with the remaining bay leaf and a hefty pinch of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, 10-12 minutes, then drain and spread out on a plate to cool. Halve the potatoes when cooled.
9. In a wide sauté or cast-iron pan, heat a film of canola oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed until nearly all the water has come out and evaporated 5-6 minutes. Toss with a pinch of salt, cooking 2-3 minutes more for even browning, then turn out onto a plate to cool.
10. In yet another wide sauté or stainless steel pan over medium heat, place the pearl onions and enough stock to cover them by 1/3. Season well with salt, then add the sugar. Once the liquid is simmering, add the butter and swirl the pan to combine everything. Keep swirling, adjusting the heat to keep a bare simmer. The goal is to have the onions cooked by the time the stock and butter reduce to a glaze. If the glaze looks broken or separated, drizzle in a bit more stock. Once the onions are cooked and glazed, set aside to cool.
11. Remove the pot from the oven. Carefully strain all the liquid into another pot. Add the meat and veg back into the original, empty pot and keep warm on the back of the stove. Place the liquid over medium-high heat and reduce by half, until thick and glossy. Pour back over the meat and vegetables.
12. Stir in the potatoes, mushrooms, lardons and pearl onions, just heating through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, top with chopped parsley and enjoy with a glass of red wine. This was a marathon. Take a break, you’ve earned it.

There’s no getting around it, this dish can be a beast. But it’s all bark, no bite. No one task is very difficult. As long as you’ve planned it out and given yourself adequate time, this can be a delightful and rewarding day in the kitchen project. Plus, the end result simply cannot be beat.

Did you try this version of boeuf bourguignon? If so, whattaya think? Does it stack up to the legend of JULIA CHILD’S BOEUF BOURGUIGNON? Was it worth the mountain of dirty pots and pans in your opinion? Let me know via e-mail or in the comments below, and here’s to a new year of great food and drink! Hope to see you all soon!