Beef Bourguignon

I broke in my new cast-iron dutch oven today.  I figured a classic french dish was just the thing to do it.  This hearty, beef stew-like dinner has a lot of steps, but that doesn't translate into being hard. Take your time.  Follow the steps and success is pretty much guaranteed.  But it IS French, and it's incredibly rich.

Here's what you'll need:
6 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
2-3 lbs lean beef roast, cut into 2" cubes
4-5 small carrots, cut in half
1/2 onion, root end in-tact
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP flour
3 c red wine
2-3 c beef stock
1 TBSP tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP butter
8 oz baby portabella mushrooms
2 TBSP fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 450.

Saute the bacon in the olive oil in the dutch oven until crispy.

Remove the bacon; drain on a paper towel.

Reheat the oil and grease in the pan.  Add about half of the beef cubes.

This step is not about cooking the beef.  This is to develop some crust and coloring on the meat. When the meat is browned, remove to paper towels.

Repeat this step with the remaining beef.

Add the carrots and half onion to the pot, again just getting some color on the vegetables.  This adds an unbelievable depth of flavor.

When the vegetables are caramelized, remove them to paper towels.  Discard the remaining oil from the pot.

Put the beef and bacon back into the hot pot.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and flour.  Place the pot in the oven.  Cook at 450 for 4 minutes.

Stir the beef and cook another 4 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 325.

Stir the wine and enough beef stock to cover the meat into the dutch oven.  Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots.

Cover; put the pot into the 325 oven and bake until the meat is fork-tender, 3-4 hours.

When the meat is cooked, remove from the oven.  The sauce with be pretty thick.

Drain the meat combo over a bowl.  Return the sauce to the pot; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the sauce has reduced by about half.

Remove the onion, sticks from the thyme and the bay leaf from the meat.  Place the meat and carrots in a dish; cover.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter in a small skillet, until pretty crispy.

Layer them over the meat and carrots.

Top with the reduced wine sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.  We just ate it with crusty, well-buttered bread.  If you're going to go French, you might as well go all the way.

Serves 4-5.

Enjoy!

French Bread

Today was a rainy, miserable day so I decided to make bread.  I used to make bread all of the time.  The problem with that was we ate way too much bread.  Anyway, today was bread baking day.  I wanted the smell of rising yeast and baking bread to fill the house. I was not disappointed.

This recipe is easy to mix and requires few ingredients.  The time-consuming part is the rising and resting periods, but it doesn't need babysat.  You can go about your day and still end up with this crusty, chewy piece of heaven.

Here's what you'll need:
1 package yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
1 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
3 -3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 TBSP corn meal
cold water
1 egg white
2 TBSP cold water

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm-- not hot-- water.  You should see bubbles rising up as the yeast begins to bloom.

Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until smooth.

Gradually add 1 1/4- 1 1/2 additional cups of flour, until the dough is easy to handle (it will pull away from the sides of the bowl).

Pour 1 TBSP of oil into a bowl. Use a napkin or paper towel to coat the whole bowl.   Set side.

Turn the dough onto a floured counter top.  Use your hands to knead the dough (push the dough away from you with one and; pull it back with the other), for 5 minutes.  Until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Don't skimp on the time here.  This kneading is what develops the gluten in the flour and gives the bread it's texture.

Shape the dough into a ball.  Put the dough in the oiled bowl, turning it to coat all sides.  Cover with a cloth and let rise, at room temp (I usually put it on top of the stove, away from drafts) until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough.  Recover with the cloth.  Let rest 15 minutes.

Grease a sheet pan.  Sprinkle with 1 TBSP corn meal.  Set aside.

Divide the dough into two halves.  Roll each half into a 15x10" rectangle.

Tightly roll up each loaf.

Pinch the seam, tightly, between your fingers to seal the dough.

Place the loaves on the prepared sheet pan.  Use a sharp knife to slash the top of the loaves at 2-inch intervals.

Cover with a clean cloth.  Allow to rise, at room temp, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.

Place a 9x13" pan on the lowest over rack.  Add 2 cups HOT water.

Brush the tops of the loaves with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.

Combine the egg white with the 2 TBSP of cold water, whisking well.

Remove the pan of water from the oven.  Brush the loaves with the egg mixture.  Bake and additional 20-25 minutes, until they're golden and sound hollow when you tap on them.  Cool on a wire rack.

Each loaf makes 10-12 slices.

Enjoy!