HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON

Boeuf à la bourguignon originated centuries ago as a quintessential country French dish. Later, its preparation was codified by August Escoffier in his classic cookery book, Le Guide Culinaire, in 1903. He calls for red wine. It is unlikely that red Burgundy, extraordinary and expensive wine that it is, was the cooking wine of choice. Surely, a more commonplace, robust wine was the choice in his kitchen. Escoffier instructs us to use a whole piece of beef from the round; eventually, it became the cubed, elaborated dish we see today, perhaps on the advice of Julia Child, in the 1960’s.

I suspect there are nearly as many versions of this dish as there cooks who cook it, each in their own way. My approach is traditional, hewing closely to Escoffier’s original recipe, for two reasons: first, it’s a recipe that has been proven over more than 100 years; and second, it tastes the best, to my palate. However, as is the modern practice, I cube the beef and brown it before braising. The boeuf à la bourguignon is fully cooked and ready to warm in the oven.

Take the casserole out of the refrigerator two hours ahead of oven time and allow it to rest at room temperature until ready to bake. If frozen, defrost it in the fridge two day ahead of cooking.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the covered casserole in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the stew is bubbling and well heated. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the stew with chopped parsley, set the casserole on a trivet on the dining table, and pass the croutons. Serve with side dishes of your choice and wine to compliment.

SUGGESTED ACCOMPANIMENTS
Celeriac purée (see recipe)
Parslied Potatoes
Buttered fresh noodles, such as pappardelle, tagliatelle, or fettuccine
A Lazy Cook’s Long-Cooked Green beans (see recipe)

WINES – Delicious choices are available from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and Oakland Yard Wine Shop. If you visit, tell them I sent you.
Côtes du Rhône
Syrah or St.-Joseph
Languedoc rouge