BOEUF BOURGUIGNON FROM JULIE & JULIA

Season chuck roast with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring water to a simmer. Chop bacon and place in simmering water to parboil for about 10 minutes. Strain bacon and toss to dry in strainer.

Over medium heat, warm vegetable oil. Saute the bacon for 2-3 minutes. Once brown and all the fat is rendered out, remove the bacon from the pan and place on a plate covered in a paper towel to absorb any remaining fat.

Place seasoned chuck roast cubes into the remaining oil and bacon fat. Make sure not to overcrowd your beef. Cook until a nice golden brown on all sides and set aside on a plate covered with a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Add the onion and carrots to the saucepan. Saute in the remaining fat until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Using the burgundy, deglaze and get all the yummy burnt stuff off the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Place beef cubes into a dutch oven and toss with flour. Place in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until toasty. Remove from the oven and give them a little toss before returning to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Once again, remove from the oven. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 325°F. Then, add vegetables, bacon, wine from the deglazed pan, and beef stock. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and tomato paste. Mix and make sure everything is well incorporated.

Place in oven and allow to braise for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally. While in the oven, prepare your mushrooms and onions.

Place unpeeled pearl onions in a bowl. Cover in boiling water and then transfer onions to a bath of icy water to stop cooking. Pinch onion at stem and it should slip out of its skin. If not, remove skin with paring knife.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil and toss peeled onions around until browned. Leaving the onions in the skillet, deglaze with beef stock. Cover skillet with lid and allow the onions and beef stock to braise for about 45 minutes or until the onions are soft but still retain their shape.

In another skillet, heat butter over high heat. Place mushrooms in skillet and toss and shake for about 5 minutes. When the mushrooms have expelled most of their moisture, add thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for 10 more minutes. Set aside.

Remove dutch oven from oven. Using a pair of tongs, remove beef and place aside. Strain the liquid into a large saucepan.

Over medium-high heat, aggressively reduce the liquid until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Place a few pieces of beef, a couple of carrots, a healthy pile of the onions, a little pile of mushrooms, and a little pile of onions on a plate. Top with some sauce and freshly chopped parsley. Dig in and prepare to have your pants blown off.