Classic Boeuf Bourgignon
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What's it all about?
It's the ultimate French comfort food and although some people may be put off by the large quantity of wine needed, it adds wonderful flavour - remember: 95% of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking, just in case you're concerned. That being said, although it's simple to make, it does require some prep work and a little project management. 1/ The previous Day Cut up the meat and carrots into largish bite-size pieces. Peel the onions and pieces of garlic, roughly chop and marinate the meat and the vegetable garnish in the red wine overnight in the refrigerator. 2/ For the meat
Drain the meat and pad dry on kitchen paper while retaining the wine (very important!). Separate the carrots, onion and garlic from the meat. Remove the leaves from the parsley and keep the green stems for cooking and the leaves for your final presentation. In a hot pan, put olive oil (or lard) and brown the pieces of meat for about 1 minute on each side. |
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Add the carrots, onion and garlic, season with salt and cook gently for 3 minutes. Add flour (if using) and cook again for 1 min while mixing well to incorporate the flour nicely in the sauce
Pour in the red wine, veal stock and tomato puree (not included in the most traditional versions). Add the parsley stalks and bay leaf tied up as a bouquet garni and then bring to the boil before lowering the heat and simmering very gently for 2 1/2 hours.
When the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot, pass the sauce through a sieve, check the texture and if it is too liquid, reduce it for several more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour in the red wine, veal stock and tomato puree (not included in the most traditional versions). Add the parsley stalks and bay leaf tied up as a bouquet garni and then bring to the boil before lowering the heat and simmering very gently for 2 1/2 hours.
When the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot, pass the sauce through a sieve, check the texture and if it is too liquid, reduce it for several more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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3/ For the garnish
Clean the mushrooms and trim the stems. Arrange peeled baby onions in a pan, add water halfway up and 20 g butter. Cover with a loose fitting lid which lets vapour escape slowly and bake until the water has completely evaporated. Just when they begin to caramelize, add 1one tablespoon of water and coat them well. Set aside. In the same pan, put the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms to colour them. Set them aside to. 4/ To serve Combine the meat and sauce with the baby onions and mushrooms - warm through and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Note on thickening the sauce: If you slowly cook this dish over two and a half hours, you will end up with a rich thick sauce, whether you add flour or not. You can pass it through a sieve and then reduce the sauce further but traditionalists add a little flour, some also adding in the tomato puree for taste - and to achieve a nice glossy consistency in the sauce. Use rice flour if you want to use flour - I don't think it's needed - but stay gluten-free. |
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Macronutrient picture
This is a healthy dish in many ways, full of countless nutrients. When used as a meal for 6-8 people, the actual carb figure is determined by the wine you use and whether you add some flour and/or tomato puree.
For 8 people you end up with a final net weight of about 3.6 kilos and still be talking of about 10 grams of carbs per person. If you need to get below that, I recommend replacing half the wine with a mixture of chicken and beef broth, but keeping the onions and carrots for the flavour they add.
Serve with pureed cauliflower and al-dente green beans... for just a few more carbs!
The traditional recipe used here is based on the one outlined at: www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/recette/17741-boeuf-bourguignon-traditionnel.php
This is a healthy dish in many ways, full of countless nutrients. When used as a meal for 6-8 people, the actual carb figure is determined by the wine you use and whether you add some flour and/or tomato puree.
For 8 people you end up with a final net weight of about 3.6 kilos and still be talking of about 10 grams of carbs per person. If you need to get below that, I recommend replacing half the wine with a mixture of chicken and beef broth, but keeping the onions and carrots for the flavour they add.
Serve with pureed cauliflower and al-dente green beans... for just a few more carbs!
The traditional recipe used here is based on the one outlined at: www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/recette/17741-boeuf-bourguignon-traditionnel.php
School meals "all-in-one" project
Cooking, language, mathematics & project management
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‘Cooking’ as a Project Management, Language and Maths Class
Cooking a traditional French dish such as Beef Bourguignon, a hearty French beef stew, also presents the opportunity for a 180 degree learning exercise. Cooking is not just about culinary skills… though they are admittedly invaluable in the junk food world in which we live; cooking gives you the opportunity to discuss some of the ethical and food safety issues involved, as well as presenting you with language and arithmetical learning opportunities. Really! There’s absolutely no reason why English and Arithmetic cannot be taught together with cooking, and those that argue against it becoming part of the core curriculum focus purely on the food and not enough on the organisational skills needed, which range from learning about budgetary matters through project management to the discussion of topical and ethical issues. And why not add in some language skills as well? French in the food-case selected here. The history and geography of Burgundy offer up still further opportunities but... enough now! Unfortunately, we live in a world of specialists and examining bodies don’t think in this way; they don’t see the bigger picture real life situations which involve young people maturing in a modern, media driven environment, having to cope with numerous, sometimes conflicting issues; but… let’s just imagine how things could be different: Today’s lesson: We are going to cook Boeuf Bourguignon (beef in the Burgundy style) using a classical French recipe. We will need one large pan for slow cooking and a frying pan. The original version of this delicious, nutritious and traditional recipe has been chosen at: https://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/recette/17741-boeuf-bourguignon-traditionnel.php; just download the pdf if you'd like to know more. |
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