One of my most favorite recipes of all is Julia Child’s beef stew, or more correctly known as boeuf bourguignon. It is a savory stew that we usually served over a buttery blend of rotini and egg noodle pasta. In my opinion, and I have a very critical palate, the flavor of tart red wine, beef and mushrooms, beef stock and a host of herbs combined is a flavor that is nearly unrivalled.
Of course, with many recipes, there are a few negative factors that can be the deciding factor on whether to make it for dinner or not. First of all, you have to know EXACTLY what you are going to do, and you have to know EXACTLY when to do it! The first time I tried it we ended up eating at eight o’clock even though I started it at four.
Everything must be like clock-work, and the next step must be prepared in advance to accomplish this. I enlisted my brother’s help to dry the wet meat so that it could brown.
The second thing is that even with precise timing, it still takes years to prep and even longer to cook! One night I tried to outsmart the cooking time by attempting to make it for the next night. I started it at around seven o’clock, and the task sounded easy; that is, until I actually started it! The stew has to cook in the oven for two and-a-half to three hours. By 9:30 I was wiped out and couldn’t stay awake anymore, so I put it in the fridge and finished it the following afternoon when I got home. If you do decide to undertake the stew a little later in the day, it is a good idea to have a really good book( or from a teenage boy’s perspective, a really good video game) to keep you awake!
And thirdly, the trip to the store is quite costly. The ingredients must be good. I am a stickler about getting quality ingredients regardless of the cost. I’m pretty sure my parents will be overjoyed when I volunteer to pay for the shopping next time I invade the kitchen for the sake of dinner. My poor father always has sticker-shock at the check-out line when I make him pay twenty to thirty dollars for a good chunk of meat, the same amount for a decent Chianti red wine, pearl onions, five cans of beef stock, and a host of other ingredients.
Despite the large grocery bill, prepping, and cook time, it is always worth the wait. Like stated earlier, it is personally favored over a pile of buttery pasta. Since we usually have leftovers, we have also tried it over potatoes, which wasn’t my favorite, but good nonetheless. In addition the stew and whatever you choose to put it on, you always want to have a good bread to sop up the juices with. Chef Ina Garten, popularly known as Barefoot Contessa, had the idea of putting it over toasted bread, which sounds pretty good as well. If you are REALLY experimental, it is awesome with some mac n’cheese.
I am a huge fan of all things savory. I love all kinds of stews, especially when they involve any kind of herbs. Anything that leaves a pool of gravy to wipe up with bread is my kind of meal, and this stew has all of this combined! It isn’t the best for a low-calorie meal, but splurging is well worth it.
In the end, after all the effort put into it, it comes out in a savory stew that always tastes fantastic! If you are going to make it for the first time, it might be best to start it pretty early to allow time to make mistakes. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes stews, beef, or both! Give it a try. You will be glad you did! If you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to email me at next.pilot.marc@gmail.com. I check my email daily, so my chances of seeing a question are high. I will try to be diligent in responding!
Cook often!
Marc Young
Top: Photo Courtesy of Becoming Madame Blog
Bottom: Photo Courtesy of Eating the Rainbow Blog
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