Julia Child and boeuf bourguignon, a French stew of meat, wine and time
Julia Child brought French cuisine to the rest of the world, and her boeuf bourguignon, a stew of meat, wine and time, brings together a complexity that seems simple.
Among the ambassadors of French cuisine, Paul Bocuse, the brothers Michel and Albert Roux, and Joël Robuchon are often mentioned. Julia Child, however, was not French, but she dedicated her life to promoting that cuisine and, from Le Cordon Bleu, where she trained, she brought it to the rest of the world, making even its most complex flavors accessible. Among her dishes, few match the depth and warmth of her boeuf bourguignon.
Child described it as "without a doubt one of the most delicious meat dishes ever prepared" in his book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's a stew of meat, wine, aromatics, and time that results in a silky texture and a comforting depth of flavor. It's a masterpiece.
Traditionally, beef is seared (the Maillard reaction does its work) and then braised in red wine and beef stock with carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs, before being finished with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Child's recipe incorporates the bacon from the start, infusing the entire dish with a porky flavor.
The dish, like other French classics such as chicken chasseur, originated in what was known as "peasant cuisine." This description is not literal, but rather reflects a simple, unpretentious, and sometimes laborious, yet always accessible spirit.
For the meat, a fatty, gelatinous cut produces a richer sauce and a more tender texture. Child's recipe uses chuck roast, an easy-to-find cut that tenderizes during cooking; if unavailable, top round and flank steak are also suitable.
As for the wine, Burgundy is the traditional choice, and the dish takes its name from that region. In reality, any full-bodied red wine will do, and the more intense and rich it is, the more flavorful the stew will be. A Merlot, a Malbec, or an Italian grape like Nebbiolo are all good options.
Some optional enhancements are possible. Ina Garten, known as the Barefoot Contessa, adds a splash of cognac to her beef stews, which rounds out the flavors and accentuates their notes. Another, less common, option is to add a pig's trotter, which imparts natural gelatin to the cooking liquid and an even richer, more tender texture.
