Given the weather most everywhere in the northern climes is turning slowly from a mild and balmy fall to a cold and blustery winter, it’s time to get out those Dutch ovens and think about making some one pot dishes. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m blessed with weather good enough to barbecue all year round, but sometimes when it’s raining and 45 degrees outside, I just don’t feel like firing up the old grill. Instead I want some comfort food that warms the stomach and feeds the soul.
Like many of you I grew up with stews, soups and chilies. Whether you make them in a crock pot, Dutch oven or Instant Pot, they really are fairly easy to make. I would argue that they may in fact be the best bang for the buck as well. You can take a piece of shoe leather meat, apply a long braise to it and have it come out like cotton candy.
So in celebration of those various pots of deliciousness, I thought I’d reach back and cook some of my favorites and share my recipes. Some you may have already seen me do while others will be brand new. Either way, feel free to join in and give me your version. We all learn from one another that way and maybe, just maybe learn to become better cooks along the way.
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First up is a classic favorite of mine, Beef Bourguignon. Hearty and delectable, Beef Bourguignon is famous not only across France but all over the world. It is a dish as famous as other French classics such as ratatouille or coq au vin.
It's a rich slow cooked beef stew, where the beef is braised in red wine with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions and a bouquet garni (bundle of thyme, parsley and bay leaves).
It originated in provincial Burgundy, or a region called Bourgogne in French, thus the name. The region boasts some of the best Charolaise breed of cattle in Europe along with world famous dark, ruby red rich wine. It’s the melding and combination of the wine and beef that make this one of the richest and most intensely flavorful stews.
Like many of the stews we make today, this one dates back to the Middle Ages in France as a peasant dish. Slow cooking and feeding hungry mouths with cheap cuts of meat, plenty of local vegetables and an abundance of wine made these dishes practical as well as popular. They would often cook these down for two days at a time to intensify the flavors and braise the meat to supreme tenderness.
As time went on this peasant dish made its way into local bistros and eventually to the restaurant tables in the larger cities. It wasn’t until 1903 that Escoffier, the famous French chef wrote down his version of the recipe when it became wildly popular with high society and the aristocracy. Made famous to most Americans by none other than Julia Child, my version is very similar to one I learned how to make watching her television show decades ago.
So let’s throw together a pot of Beef Bourguignon stew and enjoy a hearty bowl with a glass of Pinot Noir and a fresh French baguette.
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Beef Bourguignon
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. French
Makes. 4 to 6 servings
Takes. 30-40 minutes’ prep, 30-60 minutes pre-smoking, 3-4 hours to braise
Ingredients
4-5 pounds of beef chuck or short rib
8 ounces bacon cut into lardons
2 cups diced white onion
1 cup frozen pearl onions
2 cups mushrooms quartered
12-14 small 1-2†potatoes cut in half
2 cups carrots sliced
1 cup celery sliced
4-5 cloves garlic minced
Bouquet garni of fresh thyme stems, parsley and bay leaves
2 cups beef stock
1 – 750 ml (or 25 oz) bottle of red wine such as Cabernet, Burgundy or Pinot Noir.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon slurry of corn starch
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
Cooking oil for initial frying
Directions – Meat Pre-Smoking (Optional)
Hope you enjoy making stews, soups and chilies as much as I do. Next up in the series will be another very French classic: Cassoulet. You don't want to miss that one. So until then, grab a warm blanket, a hot, steaming bowl of stew, a glass of cool wine and embrace the upcoming winter season. Troutman is outta here until next time !!!
Like many of you I grew up with stews, soups and chilies. Whether you make them in a crock pot, Dutch oven or Instant Pot, they really are fairly easy to make. I would argue that they may in fact be the best bang for the buck as well. You can take a piece of shoe leather meat, apply a long braise to it and have it come out like cotton candy.
So in celebration of those various pots of deliciousness, I thought I’d reach back and cook some of my favorites and share my recipes. Some you may have already seen me do while others will be brand new. Either way, feel free to join in and give me your version. We all learn from one another that way and maybe, just maybe learn to become better cooks along the way.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
First up is a classic favorite of mine, Beef Bourguignon. Hearty and delectable, Beef Bourguignon is famous not only across France but all over the world. It is a dish as famous as other French classics such as ratatouille or coq au vin.
It's a rich slow cooked beef stew, where the beef is braised in red wine with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions and a bouquet garni (bundle of thyme, parsley and bay leaves).
It originated in provincial Burgundy, or a region called Bourgogne in French, thus the name. The region boasts some of the best Charolaise breed of cattle in Europe along with world famous dark, ruby red rich wine. It’s the melding and combination of the wine and beef that make this one of the richest and most intensely flavorful stews.
Like many of the stews we make today, this one dates back to the Middle Ages in France as a peasant dish. Slow cooking and feeding hungry mouths with cheap cuts of meat, plenty of local vegetables and an abundance of wine made these dishes practical as well as popular. They would often cook these down for two days at a time to intensify the flavors and braise the meat to supreme tenderness.
As time went on this peasant dish made its way into local bistros and eventually to the restaurant tables in the larger cities. It wasn’t until 1903 that Escoffier, the famous French chef wrote down his version of the recipe when it became wildly popular with high society and the aristocracy. Made famous to most Americans by none other than Julia Child, my version is very similar to one I learned how to make watching her television show decades ago.
So let’s throw together a pot of Beef Bourguignon stew and enjoy a hearty bowl with a glass of Pinot Noir and a fresh French baguette.
__________________________________________________ _______________________
Beef Bourguignon
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. French
Makes. 4 to 6 servings
Takes. 30-40 minutes’ prep, 30-60 minutes pre-smoking, 3-4 hours to braise
Ingredients
4-5 pounds of beef chuck or short rib
8 ounces bacon cut into lardons
2 cups diced white onion
1 cup frozen pearl onions
2 cups mushrooms quartered
12-14 small 1-2†potatoes cut in half
2 cups carrots sliced
1 cup celery sliced
4-5 cloves garlic minced
Bouquet garni of fresh thyme stems, parsley and bay leaves
2 cups beef stock
1 – 750 ml (or 25 oz) bottle of red wine such as Cabernet, Burgundy or Pinot Noir.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon slurry of corn starch
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
Cooking oil for initial frying
Directions – Meat Pre-Smoking (Optional)
- To ramp up the flavor of your stew and to combine traditional cooking with outdoor smoking, pre-smoke the meat to pick up the Maillard reactive flavor and smokiness. This step is optional but encouraged.
- Fire up your grill or smoker in a two zone setup. Set you temperature to 275-300*F. When the smoker has reached temperature, add a chunk or two of oak or mesquite. Place the meat on the cool side and allow to smoke until it reaches color and achieves an internal temperature between 125-130*F. You want the meat to get a dark, rich mahogany color and take on a bit of smoke.
- Remove the meat from the smoker and let it cool. Chop the meat into bite size pieces for the stew and set aside. In a large Dutch oven (or other cooking vessel) add some oil and begin by browning the bacon.
- Once the bacon has rendered its fat, add the onion and begin to sweat until translucent and beginning to brown. You may need to add a little oil to help with this step. When the onions are cooked, add the mushrooms and cook them for an additional 10 minutes until they begin to release their water. Add salt to the mixture to encourage the mushrooms to sweat.
- Next add the remaining veggies; carrots, celery, garlic, pearl onions, as well as the pre-smoked beef cubes. Add the entire bottle of red wine. Bring to a low boil and reduce the amount by about half for about 5-8 minutes or so.
- Add the potatoes, the beef stock and the bouquet garni. Give everything a good stir then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a second boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot but leave it cracked a bit to allow evaporation. Cook the stew for an additional 2 hours to braise the meat and meld the flavors. Check for salt and pepper and give it a good stir every 30 minutes or so.
- When done bring the stew once again to a slow boil. Make a slurry of corn starch and water adding it to the stew in small amounts and stirring until the desired thickness is achieved. Do not add all at once and be sure the liquid is boiling.
- Once thickened to your liking, stir in the parsley garnish. Serve in bowls like a soup with fresh bread and a glass of wine. Enjoy this hearty and delicious stew.
- Final tip: Save some for the next day, the flavors will have further intensified and melded together making it one of the best left over meals you will ever have.
Hope you enjoy making stews, soups and chilies as much as I do. Next up in the series will be another very French classic: Cassoulet. You don't want to miss that one. So until then, grab a warm blanket, a hot, steaming bowl of stew, a glass of cool wine and embrace the upcoming winter season. Troutman is outta here until next time !!!
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