This is without a doubt, my all time favorite dish I have ever made and eaten. Ever since I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" and watched Julia Child make it on her first television show, I knew I was hooked. To the French this is a peasant dish, but to me its the best dish ever invented. I make this when ever I can. I have made it at least 4 or 5 times for all of my friends for lunch at school. When you have made it for 35 people it gets easier to make a single batch of the recipe. It is so simple (after the first time making it) and yet so divine. It is a beef stew with Red Wine, Bacon, Carrots, Mushrooms, and braised onions (which are cooked separately and added later). In the original Julia Child recipe you use a good red wine. But unfortunately for me, you have to be 21 to buy wine, so I have discovered cooking wine is sold in most grocery stores and you don't have to be 21 to buy it. It is a mix of different blends of wines with salt already added. The brand I use is Holland House. They make red, white, Marsala,and sherry cooking wines. Most chefs will probably call for my execution for this, but I prefer to use this cooking wine when making this because, I have found that the salt level and flavor of the dish is spot on every time because the wine has salt already in it. That way I don't have to worry about adding salt to it. But you can of course use a good red wine from your local liquor store. That is just my personal preference. The actual cooking of the dish is relatively simple. As I said above, it gets easier each time you make it. I could now make it in my sleep. You start out by rendering bacon lardons in a dutch oven or oven safe casserole. Remove the bacon and brown the stew meat in the bacon fat. Remove the meat and saute the carrots in the fat. Return everything to the pot and add your wine, beef stock, and herbs and seasonings. Cover and place in a preheated oven. When meat is cooked about 2 hours later. Strain the sauce into another saucepan. Place sauce over moderate heat and thicken it. You correct seasoning if you need. You then add back the meat and carrots. What I recommend now is to let it cool, cover it, and refrigerate overnight or a day or two. The stew gains in flavor the longer it sits. You then just have to reheat it slowly. Once reheated or ready to serve, you add your braised onions and sauteed mushrooms. You don't add the mushrooms until just before serving, otherwise they will sort of dissolve. It is now ready to serve. When it comes to serving it, the traditional way to serve it is over rice or buttered noodles. I personally view this as a cheap way to serve it and is a waste of such a delicious dish. I like to make some herb roasted potatoes and serve the stew over this. I feel if you are making a rich and gourmet dish like this, don't serve it over something healthy and boring like rice. But again, it is up to you how you wish to serve it. As a matter of fact you don't have to serve it over anything. For example, on the day after eating it, I just eat the leftovers in a bowl with a chunk of french bread. If you make this dish and you say you don't care for it, you obviously have no taste for good food whatsoever. I will warn you, the cost for this dish is around $30-40 for all of the meat and veggies and spices. It is for special occasions. They way I feel, I would have this every week if I could. So please make this as fast as you can. The recipe for the Beouf Borguignon, braised onion and Sauteed Mushrooms is below. As Julia Child says..."Bon Appetit"!
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