Boeuf Bourguignon
This is a french classic, but not difficult! It’s simply rustic beef stew, and if you received a Staub or Le Creuset cast iron pot at your wedding that’s still packed in the basement, this is the recipe for which it was created.
An expensive beef roast is not required, in fact, it defeats the purpose of this dish being traditionally rustic. Any 3-4 lb cheaper roast will be excellent. Cut off excess fat and slice the roast into large cubes, tossing them into a large plastic bowl. Add a coarsely chopped onion, 6-8 large cut carrots, a bouquet garni (2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs oregano, and one bundle of basil, tied together with string), 5-6 whole peppercorns, and a bottle of red wine. The French still argue whether the wine should be cheap or tasty, but I just recommend a nice French table wine, vin ordinaire, which any liquor store will carry for less than $10.
Let the bowl of goodness marinate refrigerated for at least four hours, or covered overnight. Then, spoon out the meat from the bowl and dry with paper towels. Heat a frying pan, or your cast iron pot, add olive oil, and sear the meat in small batches. This browning adds flavor, color, and seals each cube, keeping them juicy throughout the cooking process.
Return the meat and contents of the marinade bowl to the pot, and cook in the oven at 325 degrees for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Now this would be a good time to grab the laptop or get on the phone and tell your friends that you’re cooking a highly complex, traditional French dish for dinner…whew! When done, the meat should be very tender. Place the pot on the stove, uncovered, to cool a bit. Remove the bouquet garni. Mix a tablespoon of corn starch with enough cold water to make a milky liquid, and slowly spoon and mix the starch into the pot and swirl around – this will thicken the broth. Add salt to taste.
Serve with a French baguette, and either a robust red cabernet or ice cold beer.
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