sass & veracity

I live with serious carnivores.  They tolerate all the other types of food I make, and most of the time, they enjoy it.  But when I make beef, especially beef in a rich wine-based sauce, dinner is punctuated by nothing but comments of true love — even with the one portion left over and heated up the next day.

That was the case this past Sunday with the latest version of a stew in wine sauce that I have tried many times over the years.  If you are someone who enjoys beef but doesn’t want to spend a great deal of time or fussiness on meal preparation, you have to try this recipe from  Jacques Pepin in March issue of Food & Wine.  The quantity is perfect for four, just like the recipe states.  Use lean beef, and thin-sliced pancetta without the cooking in water first hassle.  If you opt for bacon instead of the pancetta, make sure you get rid of all that fat.

Over the years, I have tried a bazillion versions of beef stew made with red wine, called anything from Boeuf Bourguignon, to Boeuf aux Carottes a l’Ancienne (Beef with Carrots Prepared the Traditional Way), to Daube de Boeuf.  These recipes have all had the beef and wine in common, but the method of preparation, and to some degree, the other ingredients, have differed greatly. One of my semi-pet peeves is that I don’t like everything to come out purple.  It looks, well,  revolting.  I think the first time I made beef in wine for my not-yet-husband years ago,  it was seriously Technicolor purple. I can’t remember what it  tasted like, but I think the “burgundy” that I used in the recipe came in a glass jug that had a little handle at the top. Er, ah…Ahem.  So did I know?

If you have the time and want to take yourself through some very classic steps in the creation of a classic Beef Burgundy, then you need to refer to  Mastering the Art of French Cooking:  Volume One.  You will learn much, but it can test your patience sometimes just to read the recipes.  They do turn out extremely well, if you are diligent and you are able to push out of your head questions like, “Why do I have to simmer the bacon in water first, then saute it in oil, take it out of the pan, and then later put it back in the pan?” when you are making this particular recipe.

“Ma Bourgogne’s” recipe in Paris Cafe isn’t quite as fussy and is very tasty, but it still has that traditional step where you have to marinate it and let it sit overnight.  That isn’t too bad, and there aren’t tons of steps, so this recipe is a good one, too.  The mushrooms are cooked separately, so they are a nice color when you actually serve the stew.  I always enjoy mushrooms that look like, well, mushrooms.

Sometimes, beef in wine recipes are referred to as daubes, which refers to a type of pot stew used to be cooked in.  In the recipe I’ve tried in Parisian Home Cooking, the marinating time was 24 hours, and the cooking time 3 hours.  That can be great if you want to hassle yourself with what feels like prepping two different meals on one night.  From what I can tell, most people are suffering from even having to make one meal.  Take out pizza, everyone?  Can we get that with no cheese and no crust, perhaps nuggets on the side?  Speaking of picky-eaters, in this particular version of Daube de Boeuf,  I chose not to add the optional 1/2 calf’s foot, pig’s foot, or tail.  The recipe is excellent without that ingredient.

When you try the same kind of recipe from many different sources over time, it is the best way to learn the basics of what creates a particular dish. Then you can settle in with the one that tastes great, isn’t going to turn you into a dumpling as long as you control your portions, and is quick to make.  Here’s how ours turned out. Not bad, not bad at all.  Usually, this dish is served with roasted small potatoes.  The men in the house opted for mashed potatoes instead.  My tastebuds were happy, and with a controlled portion, I’m still on my way to Babe-i-fi-cation!  The only thing that could have made this meal better, was a glass of wine.