It is Sunday. I am hungover sitting on my best friends couch watching celebrity reality shows and trying to piece together the remains of my weekend based on text messages and the activity log of my bank account. Apparently I thought it wise to have a whiskey ginger after the tequila bar (For those of you who have never had this drink, it is genius. Jameson whiskey, ginger ale, a slice of lemon. Fabulous. Plus, it impresses men that you like whiskey. At least until they are holding your hair back as you puke out a cab window.)
I feel I must do something remotely productive to shake off the feeling of having been utterly worthless this weekend with the exception of doing my part in keeping the economy afloat with my bar tabs. Something complicated that will require many steps and a whole days worth of puttering with things like pearl onions that I am too stubborn and snobby to buy frozen. The frozen ones taste like mush. Yet I will bitch for an hour while trying to peel the little rascals. It will be worth it and I enjoy being a martyr.
Classic French beef stew is perfect. Bacon fat, yes please. Chopping carrots and onions and garlic into a million little pieces, requires some dexterity that I do not have as a result of the night before, and I am thankful my knife is not as sharp as it should be, yet this is also therapeutic. I will add peas to make myself feel better about eating beef browned in bacon fat, green things always make a meal infinitely more healthy. Maybe some crusty crispy oven roasted potatoes…oooh and bread, a good baguette, and a green salad. Now who can I trick into going to the store for me…
Beouf Bourguignon (Adapted from The Cooks Encyclopedia of French Cooking)
You will need:
3 1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat
6 oz lean salt pork or thick cut bacon (honestly, I just use whatever I have in my fridge, just NOT turkey, you want high quality, high fat)
3 tbsp butter
3/4 lb pearl onions, peeled
3/4 lb button mushrooms
1 onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, chopped finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
3 tbsp flour
3 cups red wine, preferrably burgundy (I use 3 buck chuck. lets get real, if I buy good wine, I will drink it)
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
bouquet garni (if you dont have everything, which i never do, just throw in some thyme and a few bay leaves and salt and pepper)
2 1/2 to 3 cups beef broth
1.trim beef into 2" pieces. dice bacon.
2. in large dutch oven, cook bacon over med. heat til golden brown. remove to a plate and discard all but 2 tbsp of the fat.
3. increase heat to med. high. add meat (this is supposed to be done slowly in batches so that there is only one layer in the pan, frankly, I just pile it all in and hope for the best). Brown meat and transfer to a plate.
4. In a heavy frying pan, melt 1 tbsp butter, evenly brown pearl onions til golden. remove to a plate.
5. in same frying pan, melt 1 tbsp butter, saute mushrooms til golden brown. remove to same plate as pearl onions.
6. when all the beef is browned, remove to plate, pour off excess fat, and add remaining 1 tbsp butter. add carrots, garlic and chopped onion. saute til soft, 3-4 minutes. sprinkle with flour, cook for 2 minutes. add tomato paste, red wine and bouquet garni. scrape bottom to get up all the tasty bits! bring to a boil.
7. return beef and bacon to dutch oven. pour on broth until meat and veggies are covered by liquid when pushed down. bring to a boil. cover and gently simmer on low heat for 3 hours or until all the meat is very tender. add mushrooms and pearl onions, cook 30 minutes more. add peas (a few handfuls of frozen is just fine), cook 10 minutes.
discard bouquet garni or fish out bay leaves.
serve with bread and salad while still in front of bad tv.
have boyfriend, husband, dog, best friend clean up dishes. after all, you made dinner :)
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