Time For Another “Dinner And A Movie” – With Julia Child!
Here’s one of my favorite installments in the “dinner and a movie” series – because I got to make Julia Child’s legendary beef bourguignon recipe – and see Meryl Streep in one of her greatest roles!
The Legendary Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe By Julia Child
Alex and I are avid fans of all things Julia, so I was excited to tackle this recipe.
Here is how it is described in Julia’s Cookbook:
As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately, you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.
Let’s Get Started – With Bacon!
Here is Julia’s recipe, and it begins, as all recipes should, with bacon! Note that all photos are from my attempt to make the dish – the rest of the recipe directions are from Julia!
A 6-ounce chunk of bacon
Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardoons (sticks, ¼-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 ½ quarts of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
A 9- to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
A slotted spoon
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.
Next Up Is The Meat!
3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
Dry the 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.
Cue The Carrots And Onion!
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
In the same fat, brown the vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of pre-heated 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.
Things Are Looking Good!
Time now to bring the flavors together:
3 cups of a full-bodied young red wine, such as one of those suggested for serving, or a Chianti
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
½ teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind
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 pre-heated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
Pearl Onions, Mushrooms And Magic!
Here are the final ingredients:
18 to 24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock.
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. Set the mushrooms aside until needed.
When the meat 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.
Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 ½ 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.)
Parsley sprigs
For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice and decorated with parsley.
For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
Finally, Julia says that boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish, but I go with buttered noodles!
Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Émilion or Burgundy.
Recipe Source: Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
And here is the finished dish I served Alex that night:
See was happy with the result – and of course, now that dinner was served, it was time for the second part of my “Dinner And A Movie!”
Dinner And A Movie: “Julie & Julia!”
As for the film, “Julie & Julia” tells the story of a food blogger, Julie Powell, who makes a different Julia Child recipe every day for a year, and become an internet sensation.
Here is the trailer:
Amy Adams does a good job capturing the persona of Julie, who unfortunately also comes across in the film as a self-absorbed whiner and not that inspiring a person to watch on camera…but, the film is actually two stories being told simultaneously…
The real joy of the film is the story of how Julia Child became JULIA CHILD. Watching Meryl Streep capture the honesty and inspiration of Julia Child is a revelation. She is pitch perfect capturing her warmth, insecurity, and creative genius, and Streep was deservedly nominated again for the role…this part of the film is pure magic…
As I said, Alex and I are avid fans of Julia’s, and I got to cook on her provencal stove, thanks to the great Cookbook Author Patricia Wells:
Alex and I took her cooking class in Provence, and Julia gave her the stove she owned there! See the story here:
I also got the chance to see Julia’s real kitchen:
Yes, it exists in a museum! See it here:
Let me know if you’ve tackled any of Julia’s amazing recipes!
Categories: Academy Awards, Art, BACON, Books / Media, Comedy Movies, cookbooks, Cult Movies, Food, food blog, Food Review, Great Films, Hollywood, Memoirs, Movies, Pop Culture, Recipes, Talent/Celebrities, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized, Wacky Food, wine
It looks so delicious!! And I am vegetarian now, so that is saying something. LOVE that movie, so how cool that you did this tribute!
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Thanks for the note – you can make a vegetarian version of this, Julia herself wrote up a way to flip the beef for mushrooms!
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OMG how delicious does that look! I love the photos to go with the step by step instructions. Photos really add so much! Thanks for sharing,
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Thank you for the comment! I was very happy with how it turned out…I have posted some stories where my results WEREN’T nearly as good!
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I love that movie. I saw the kitchen too when I was in Washington- quite a while ago! I didn’t leave butter though 🙂
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HA! I posted about the DC kitchen, cool to see!
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I saw the pic in your post and it brought me back! It was the week before Sept 11 2001 when I was there – almost exactly 17 years ago
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I just happened upon it and so glad I did – a piece of pop culture history!
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Mmmmm, mmmm, that looks good! I’ve been working on my beef bourguignon recipe here lately, getting ready for fall. I will have to find a copy of Julie and Julia, never seen it before.
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It’s one half of a great film…the other one is just a bit more annoying, but Meryl as Julia is incredible…every scene she is in is mesmerizing
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This dish looks absolutely delicious, John. I didn’t know there was a movie about Julia Child. Meryl Streep is one of my favourite actresses.
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Look for the film, the half with her and Stanley Tucci is terrific, a love story and a look at how she “became” Julia Child…
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Thanks, John.
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Boeuf Bourguignon was the first meal I cooked my husband ( a man) who claimed not to like or eat garlic…He does now…A great dinner and a movie pairing 🙂
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NO garlic? So happy you fixed THAT – it’s one of the best things you can eat for your health! Thanks for the comment as always!
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I did indeed, John he hadn’t lived as reguards food until he met me…lol
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I loved the movie … saw it on a flight to Paris from Boston which felt very appropriate. The Bourguignon looks fantastic. I’m intrigued that she suggests a chianti if you don’t use the wine you are drinking with it. I would never have thought to do that being a bit of a purist but you know, Julia …. like absolutely a food idol, I’m not going to argue, I’m going to give it a try! And maybe drink the same chianti with it (because chianti is a Classico too, no 😉)
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I love that you noticed that!
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😊
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Looks wonderful! I liked that move–of course, Streep was excellent. I’m daunted by Julia recipes but always loved watching her on TV, especially with Jacques Pepin (his recipes are simple enough for me to tackle); they always bickered so cutely!
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I read Pepin’s autobiography, he was hilarious and relaxed and fun about cooking! Thanks for the note!
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Anything that starts with bacon is the best! What a fun recipe to try. Now I’m on to watch the movie!
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It’s really delicious and I love the Meryl half of the film! Thanks for the comment!
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I can still hear her saying the name of the dish! I loved everything about her. Looks like you did her proud with this dish!
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Thanks for the note! Yes, Meryl Streep’s voice inflections on this were spot on!
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Love this series John! The dish looks amazing and the movie was great fun!
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Thanks!
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I love this movie! Looks yum.
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I love that film… but don’t do beef. Still lools great!
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I wonder if this could be done with another meat? I also can’t do cow, but it looks so good!
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Lamb maybe…?
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That was my thought, but I have a tough time finding lamb stock. Could probably get it online in a pinch.
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Yes, or get some lamb shanks and simmer the bones with herbs as well…takes a bit more time, but the dish is labor intensive anyway you make it! Thanks for the comment – a great idea!
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YES! There are a number of substitutions that would still capture the essence of the dish!
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😁
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Yes, you can just use more mushrooms and still get that boldness, or any other meat if you like lamb or chicken…
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You can just up the mushrooms if you like the concept of the dish!
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😍
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Looks like you made a delicious meal, John. I was pleased to see what I am sure are Le Creuset pots too.
I use nothing else for casseroles.
The film was a lot better that I expected, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks as always for the note Pete – and yes Creuset!
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Top choice, John. 🙂
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Pete, how is the heat wave? Over yet? This is certainly NOT a dish to make when it’s hot out!
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It was 72 F today, and comfortable. That may not be the last of the hot weather. But for now, we have the chance of rain, and the usual temperatures for the time of year.
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