Making Julia Childs's Boeuf Bourguignon

Back home for the holiday season, it's time to celebrate, cook, and explore.  I've been cooking from Julia Child's famous work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, for several decades and, when we have guests for dinner on Wednesday after the weekly tennis get-together, it's time to bring out the book and make an old favorite:  Boeuf Bourguignon.  The flavors in this dish complement each other so well that, properly done, it is an incredible beef adventure.

Boeuf Bourguignon, wine, salad

We start with 4 pieces of bacon, cutting off (and saving) the rind and slicing the bacon into ¼ - ½ inch thick strips.  We also get 3-4 pounds of stewing beef (rump roast from the local Safeway), cut into 1" to 2" cubes.

Bacon and beef

The bacon strips and bacon rind simmer in water for about 10 minutes, then sauté in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes.  Once lightly browned, the bacon is removed and the beef cubes are browned in batches in the olive oil and bacon fat.  Once all the beef is browned, the oil and fat is used again to brown sliced vegetables, a carrot and an onion.  The bacon and beef are then returned to the pot (continuing to save the bacon rind aside).

Browned bacon, beef, vegetables together

The mixture is tossed with salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of flour to coat the beef and placed in a 450° F (232° C) oven for four minutes, tossed, and returned to the oven for four more minutes to brown the flour as a light crust on the meat.  Then, we add a bottle of red wine and enough beef stock to cover the meat and vegetables, along with a little tomato paste, the reserved bacon rind, and a few herbs (garlic, thyme, and bay leaf).  The pot is then covered and cooked at 325° F (163° C) for 2½ to 3 hours, until a fork easily pierces the meat.

Assembled, ready to cook

While the meat and vegetables are cooking, we prepare onions an mushrooms that will be added later.

 Preparing the onions and mushrooms

White pearl onions are browned in butter and olive oil for about 10 minutes, then braised in beef stock for 40-50 minutes, until they are tender.  White button mushrooms are quartered and sautéed in butter and olive oil for 4-5 minutes until brown.

Now we wait until the meat has finished cooking, then pour out the sauce, return the beef, bacon, and vegetables to the pan and add the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Still cooking, checking for tender

Sauce drained, meat and vegetables returned to pot with onions and mushrooms

The sauce simmers and reduces for a bit while any fat is skimmed off the surface.  After thickening a little, it rejoins the meat and vegetables (we're getting closer now).

 Sauce back, all together now

The pot simmers, covered, for a few minutes, while the meat and vegetables are basted (stirred) with the sauce.  I serve the dish with a garden salad and either small roasted potatoes alongside or (below) over egg noodles.  Yummmm, we're going to make this again soon!

Boeuf Bourguignon over egg noodles with garden salad

Walking The Tourist Route Through London

After lunch at Harvey Nichols on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge (down the street from Harrods), we walk toward Buckingham Palace, about a mile away.  First, we pass through the Wellington Arch and enter Green Park.  The Wellington Arch was originally designed as an entrance to Buckingham Palace and was later moved to the current site to be a victory arch celebrating Wellington's defeat of Napoleon.

 Wellington Arch

 Green Park

Green Park is still lush and green, with paths leading straight to Buckingham Palace, where we emerge at the Victoria Memorial, a monument to Queen Victoria located at one end of the Mall, the grand boulevard stretching between the palace and Trafalgar Square.

 Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace

Views from the Victoria Memorial:  The Mall, London Eye ferris wheel in the distance

From the palace, we stroll through St. James Park to Parliament and Big Ben, which is now silent for a well-needed refurbishment.

 St. James Park 

 Friendly folk in St. James Park

Reaching Big Ben, at the Westminster Bridge, we have great views of Parliament, the Thames flowing through the city, and the London Eye, a 135 meter (443 foot) ferris wheel on the south bank of the Thames.

Big Ben, Parliament, Thames, London Eye, Music

From here, it's a short walk to 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister and, from there, down Parliament Street to Trafalgar Square, stopping to admire the commemorative military statues along the street.

 10 Downing Street

Statues:  Women of World War II, The Glorious Dead

 Trafalgar Square

Our destination is a fabulous wine bar, the Cork & Bottle, just off Leicester Square, a few blocks behind Trafalgar Square, a great place for wine and dinner.  We enter and enjoy a bottle of Cotes de Provence, duck liver pate, and baked camembert with bread and onion chutney.

 Cork & Bottle

Duck liver pate, baked camembert

Cotes de Provence, bread/baked camembert/onion chutney all together (yummm)

We've done tourist London in one day and it's time to sleep and get on our flight home in the morning.  We've had a great trip to Bolzano, Cinque Terre, Corsica, Nice, and London and are looking forward to the next one!

 The Tube back to Heathrow