Beef in Burgundy

Another Gourmet Group favorite served at Paula & RJ's.  Great company dish. I've never made Julia Child's version but will someday. My old copy of this  is splotched by drippings! 


The recipe as written:
Cooking with wine is common throughout Europe.  I often tell my cooking students that one should never add water to a dish - stock perhaps, and often wine, but never water.  Wine has a cleansing ability, and a little dry sherry will greatly clean a sauce or gravy that tastes too much of oil or fat.  Beef in Burgundy is a classic dish from France.

6 slices bacon
3 pounds good stewing beef
olive oil
3-4 cups burgundy or dry red wine
2 cups Basic Brown Soup Stock (I use beef broth in a can or beef bouillion)
2 T tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
1 pound mushrooms, browned in butter
2 - 3 yellow onions, peeled chopped, and browned in butter
Roux of 1/2 cup flour browned in 1/2 cup butter

Cut the bacon into little strips, and blanch them with boiling water.  Fry gently, being careful not to burn them or to darken the fat.
Remove the bacon from the pan, and in the fat, brown the beef.  You many wish to add a little olive oil. (note: meat is not floured before being browned) Brown the meat carefully and rapidly so that it is a lovely deep brown on all sides.  Place in a large 4-quart casserole.
Add the wine and soup stock.  Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, a bay leaf, and a little salt.  Careful with the salt!
Deglaze your frying pan by putting it back on the heat for a moment after you have removed the beef. When the pan is slightly hot, add a stiff shot of red wine, and move it around with a wooden spoon.  Add this beautiful dark liquid to the casserole.
Bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 2 - 3 hours. (may also cook on top of stove in a heavy kettle). When the beef is tender, add the mushrooms and yellow onions.  Let all cook together for 20 minutes, and then thicken the whole with the roux.
Serve this dish with much too much wine for your guests, along with some cooked green vegetables and a huge salad.  You will be famous in about a half hour!  Serves 8.

my note: I usually make some egg noodles to go along with it.