MY beef bourguignon....just as good and easier!
Over a year ago, I posted "my spin" on Julia Child's classic beef bourguignon recipe. I didn't post the actual recipe because you can pretty much Google it and find it...I just did a little "tutorial" on how I "tweeked" the original recipe.
Today I thought I would post my actual recipe, along with my commentary of what I do and why I do it. Julia's version is to die for...and just once in your life, you really should tackle it! But it is not an easy recipe to throw together for busy mom's.
My version is more of a glorified "pot roast" recipe, retaining most of her key elements and in my opinion just as yummy. It has become a family favorite!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 - 3 lb. pot/chuck roast
6-8 ounces of bacon
2-3 cups of mushrooms
1-2 cups of chopped Carrots
8-10 Pearl onions or regular chopped onion
Garlic
Olive Oil (regular cooking oil will work)
2 cans of beef broth/consomme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 cups red wine
Flour
Spices: salt, pepper, rosemary, bay leaf...or whatever YOU like!
Remember, I am a "pinch of this, toss of that" kinda cook. So follow along and feel free to "pinch and toss" to your own tastes! Or even eliminate anything you don't care for!
Bacon....10 or so slices, sliced into chunks. I use thick cut...just a preference!
Fry the bacon in a large skillet. When it is fairly done, add....
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (or plain cooking oil) and 2-3 tablespoons of butter
1-2 cups of chopped carrots
2-3 cups of sliced mushrooms
8-10 peeled pearl onions, cut in half...or 1/2 regular onion, chopped.
2-3 gloves of chopped garlic or 3-4 tablespoons of chopped garlic from the jar (my go to!)
Sautee all this until everything seems kind of "tender."
Remove all the veggies and bacon with a slotted spoon, draining the oil back into the skilled, and put them in your "roast pan."
Leave the "oil" in the skillet. Add a tad if you need to!
Cut the 2 1/2-3 lb chuck roast into 1" cubes (if you are a venison eater....gag...this would be a great use for venison roasts) Pat it with a paper towel to dry it off.
In a bowl, mix about 5-6 tablespoons of flour with about 1 teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Coat all the chunks of roast with the flour. Brown all sides of the roast cubes in the oil.
Place all the browned roast cubes, bacon and veggies in a dutch oven...or cast iron pot...or large casserole dish...whatever you have that you cook pot roast in!
Now, this is how I get ALL the flavor out of the pan and make it easier to clean it up. I pour 1 can of beef broth/consumme (Campbell's is fine!) (or use 1 cup of water) in the pan drippings, bring it to a rapid boil, scrapping the sides and bottom. After everything is off the bottom and sides, pour this little mixture over the meat and veggies!
In a large bowl, mix the other can of beef broth/consumme and heaping tablespoon of tomato paste (you can freeze left over tomato paste so you don't waste a whole can!) Throw in whatever spices you might like...salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, bay leaf...whatever YOU like!
I am a salt freak! But I would advise going low on the salt for the time being...there is a lot of salt in the consumme...and soooo much flavor in all the ingredients!
Pour about 1/2 bottle of RED wine into the broth mixture...maybe 2-3 cups. The actual alcohol will "cook out" as this dish cooks so you are NOT serving your family alcohol...just the wine flavor! I buy the cheapest bottle of red wine I can find at the grocery store!
Pour the broth/wine mixture over the roast and veggies. Top with just enough water to barely cover everything, if needed. Cover and bake for about 4-5 hours in a 325 degree oven. You can "peek" once, just to give it a quick stir and check the liquid...otherwise, leave it be!
I serve this with mash potatoes (YUM!) or noodles or rice...whatever you want!
If you compare this to Julia's, it is indeed different...but the flavor is just as good in my book! And soooo much easier to prepare!
Again, this would be a great recipe for venison or any other "game" meat, like elk. I think it would even be good with pork, but have never tried it.
I would think you could cook this in a crockpot. I haven't but plan to in the future. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Again, JUST ONCE you should try the Julia recipe...if for no other reason than to say you have done it...but when you are scratching your head wondering what the heck a "lardon" is or where to buy it, don't call me...I still don't have a clue!
