Boeuf Bourguignon

OK, have you seen the new Julie & Julia movie? Read the book? I have a history with that book! I started it 2 years ago. About a third of the way through, I grew weary of spending time with the caustic Julie Powell. But I recently gave it another go after seeing the movie-- featuring an ebullient Meryl Streep endearing you even more to Julia Child and a Julie Powell minus the profanity and seflish ambition. A charming movie, inspirational, actually!... I came home and googled "Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon." No less than 15 sites popped up, offering her recipe. So armed with her step by step instructions I was off, with delectable results... I'll give you my simplified version here.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON ala Julia Child (more or less)

6 slices of bacon
1 tab. olive oil
3 pounds of stew meat
1 carrot
1 onion peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tab flour
3 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 tab tomato paste
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 tsp dry tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
2 tab butter
1tab olive oil

Cut the bacon into small bit and cook in a dutch oven. Remove cooked bacon, but leave bacon fat in the pan. Add 1 tab. oil. Cook the beef in batches in the fat to brown all sides. Remove from pan. Brown carrots and onion in pan. Remove from pan. Pour off the extra fat from the pan. Then return the beef, carrots and onion to the pan. Stir in the salt, pepper and flour. Put in a 425 degree oven for 4 minutes. Remove and stir and return to hot oven for 4 more minutes. Then add wine, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Return to a 325 degree oven to simmer until beef is tender (3 to 4 hours).
Meanwhile saute the mushrooms in the butter and oil. Add them the last few minutes of cooking to the pot.

She suggests serving the stew over rice or egg noodles.

Now-- I did it a bit differently. Added more carrots (perfect in the rich sauce!) and I used sirloin (on a big sale this week) so it cooked only 2 hours. And I simmered it on the stove top so it was easier to monitor. I served it with noodles, but they seemed a bit extraneous. Next time I'll let the big loaf of La Brea Bakery bread serve the starch position in the meal.

Delectable the first time and also as lunchtime leftovers. And as pretty as when Julie pulled the pot out of the oven in the movie! Give it a try...

And in fairness to Julie Powell, parts of the book were lovely, especially her closing chapter on the joy elicited from her year with Julia Child and her ability to resist ending the book by writing "Bon Apetit!"