Julia Childs Beef à la Bourguignonne

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 170 g bacon
• 1 liter of water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp oil, neutral (e.g. sunflower oil)
• 50 g butter
• 1.2 kg beef (e.g. prime rib, shoulder, …)
• 1 large carrot(s), sliced
• 1 large onion(s), sliced
• 18 small onions, optionally more (approx. 24)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¾ tsp thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 30 g flour
• 720 ml red wine (e.g. Chianti, Burgundy)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 450 g mushrooms, brown
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• 450 ml beef broth
• possibly flour butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours

Julia Child’s beef in red wine with bacon, onions and mushrooms

Remove the bacon rind and cut the bacon into 0.5 cm x 3 cm strips. Simmer the rind and bacon in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes. Then drain the water and dry the bacon. Fry the bacon with 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a roasting pan over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside with a spoon. Cut the beef into 5 x 5 cm pieces. Dry the meat thoroughly. Fry in the hot oil and bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and add to the bacon. Fry the sliced ​​carrot and onion in the same fat. Then drain off some of the fat. Return the meat and bacon to the vegetables, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and toss to coat. Sprinkle about 30 g of flour over the meat and toss to coat. Place the uncovered casserole dish in an oven preheated to 230°C for 4 minutes on medium heat to allow the flour to brown slightly and the meat to develop a light crust. Remove the casserole dish and reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. Add 600 ml of red wine. Then add enough beef broth to almost cover the meat (approx. 450 ml). Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, and the bay leaf (crumbled). Bring everything to a boil briefly. Then cover and place the casserole dish in the oven with the temperature turned down. Adjust the temperature so that the contents simmer very gently for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when a fork can be easily pierced. Meanwhile, trim the remaining onions and mushrooms. Heat 30 g of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over very high heat. When the butter foam subsides, add the mushrooms to the pan. Swirl the pan with the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes. Simmer 20g butter and 1 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan until it starts to bubble, add the 18-24 small onions and fry over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Roll the onions over and over to ensure they brown fairly evenly. Then add 120ml red wine, salt and pepper, and the herbs (4 small parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme). Cover and simmer gently for 40-50 minutes, until the onions are perfectly cooked but have retained their shape. Remove the herbs. When the beef is cooked through, strain everything into a sieve set over a saucepan or saucepan. Return everything to the roasting pan. Scatter the small onions and mushrooms over the top. Remove the fat from the sauce. Simmer the sauce gently for 1-2 minutes. If any fat is visible, remove it with a spoon. If the sauce is too thin, bring it back to a boil. If necessary, combine 1 teaspoon of flour and 1 teaspoon of butter into a paste. Remove the sauce from the heat and quickly whisk in the paste. Return the sauce to the heat and whisk for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour the sauce over the meat. Fresh baguette, pasta, rice, or potatoes are suitable as a side dish.