Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

After watching Julie and Julia movie, I was inspired to try Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. That recipe somehow stuck in my mind and I just had to try it myself.
So my husband got that particular recipe online and I was ready for battle in the kitchen with the infamous Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon.
I read and reread the recipe many times before getting on it. I followed the recipe to the 'T'.

There were many steps to the recipe, but the result was rewarding. It was the most delicious stew I have ever put in my mouth. The beef was fork-tender. The gravy was flavorful and unbeliavably tasty. I served it with roasted potatoes and it was perfect! So here's the recipe taken directly from Julia Child's recipe cookbook. I took NO credit whatsoever from this. It was all Julia's. Bon Appetit!
Note: I used Beef chuck roast for the beef, with beautiful marbling for tenderness.

What you need:
9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
Slotted spoon

Ingredients:
6 oz chunk of bacon
1 Tb olive oil
3 lbs beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
3 cups red wine (Burgundy or Chianti)
2-3 cups brown beef stock
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf

18-24 pearl onion, brown braised in stock *
1 lb quartered fresh mushroom sauteed in butter **

Directions:

1. Simmer bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
4. Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
9. When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

*Oignons Glaces A Bruns (Brown-braised Onions)
Ingredients:
18-24 peeled pearl onions (small white onions)
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil

1/2 cup of brown stock
salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth

Directions:
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

**Champignons Sautes Au Beurre (Sauteed Mushroom)
Ingredients:
4 Tb butter
2 Tb oil
1 lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large

Directions:
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During the saute the mushroom will first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes, the fat will reappear on the surface, and the mushroom will began to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Note: Do not crowd the pan when you saute the mushroom. The mushroom must be dry and the butter must be very hot. Saute in several batches if you are preparing a large amount.