"[Boeuf Bourguignon] is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man".
~ Julia Child
Starting right off, since this involved some oven time, I'm sort of claiming this Project Bake as redemption from the Cherpumple Disaster. Where that was an utter calamity, the Boeuf was total success.
~
I decided to cook Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon for Christmas Dinner. I have never cooked Boeuf Bourguignon before. Attempting to cook something for the first time for other people is a serious no-no in some cooking circles. Since it was for my immediate family, I figured they would give me a reprieve if it went horribly. But again, I was risking Christmas Dinner. Eek!
Holy ambitious recipe, Julia! She seriously knows how to complicate a recipe. Where the same dish was a single column on the back of the beef stock carton, she took up three whole pages in her cookbook.
There are so many little steps involved {I have to admit I skipped a couple things} in what is basically just a peasant dish of red wine-based Beef Stew! Composed of what was the cheapest/easiest to find ingredients, it had to be slow-cooked for several hours in order to make the beef tender enough to eat.
The meat and veggies we get today are, of course, much better quality, and makes a darn good dinner. Heavenly, in fact. Just make sure you set aside at least 5 hours to make it. I'm not kidding.
Some thanks to my Mom for helping out a bit {especially peeling those 20 tiny onions for me}. When all you hear is munching and sighs of happiness around the dinner table, you know you've done a good job.
Find her recipe here
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