I sometimes get cookbooks in the mail to review, and I admit I was super excited whenVirginia Willis’s Bon Appétit, Y’ All showed up on my doorstop. A marriage of American Southern and traditional French cooking? Yes, please! The recipes all sound amazing and I can’t wait to try all of them, but of course the first thing I had to make was her version of Boeuf Bourguignonne.
Many folks have been asking me lately for the perfect warming, winter dish and this is hands-down my favorite. It is classic, delicious, and though time-consuming (I won’t lie, this recipe is pretty involved) it is totally worth the work. If you want to make something special for friends or family, this is the dish to make. I serve it over mashed potatoes, which everyone seems to like.
Boeuf Bourguignonne
From Bon Appétit, Y’All
3 lbs lean rump roast, chcuk pot roast, sirloin tip, top round or bottom round, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 bottle red wine, preferably Pinot Noir
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, preferably Vidalia, coarsely chopped
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
3 tbs canola oil, plus more if needed
coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium beef broth
Bouquet garni (5 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, 2 bay leaves, 10 black peppercorns, tied together in cheesecloth)
1 tbs tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs unsalted butter
24 pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
8 oz white button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
To marinate the beef, place the cubes in a large nonreactive bowl. Add the wine, carrot, celery and onion. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Line both a baking sheet and a large plate with paper towels. Remove the beef from the marinade and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade, reserving separately both the vegetables and the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To cook the beef, heat a large, heavy-duty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 mins. Remove the bacon to the prepared plate to drain. Pour off all but 1 tbs of the bacon fat from the pan. Decrease the heat to medium, add 2 tbs of the canola oil and heat until shimmering.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the beef in two or three batches, without crowding, until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet when done. Add the reserved vegetables from the marinade and cook until they start to color, about 5-7 mins. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to lightly coat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns brown, 2-3 mins. Return the beef to the Dutch oven. Add the reserved marinade liquid and enough stock to barely cover the meat.
Add the bouquet garni, tomato paste, and garlic to the pan. Bring to a boil on high heat on the cooktop. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, 2.5-3 hrs.
Meanwhile, to make the garnish, in a large skillet heat the remaining 1 tbs of oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the peeled onions, mushrooms, the remaining sprig of thyme and the remaining bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender, 5-7 mins. Set aside and keep warm.
Remove the bouquet garni from the Dutch oven and discard. Transfer the beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. In the Dutch oven, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce and vegetables until smooth. Or, once the beef is removed, ladle the sauce and vegetables into a blender and puree until smooth a little at a time. Cook the pureed sauce over med-high heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; if needed, thin with more stock to achieve this consistency. Return the beef to the sauce and turn to coat.
Remove the sprig of thyme and the bay leaf from the skillet. Add the mushrooms, onions and reserved bacon to the beef and sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until warm and the flavors marry and blend, 5-7 mins. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
