boeuf bourguignon - les halles

Boeuf Bourguignon. It's a French classic. To skip this dish while cooking through Les Halles would be absurd, unimaginable and downright wrong. Bourdain's version is straightforward, minimal, simple but the end result is still a tasty one. It does require 2 - 3 hours of cooking so it's a dish you'll want to prepare on a lazy weekend afternoon or on a Sunday night to have leftovers throughout the week.

(a LOT of onions for this recipe. Prepare to cry)

What's that you say? You hate leftovers? Me too. I can't stand leftovers but this is one dish that really improves in flavor overnight. All the ingredients meld together in delicious harmony to become more complex, rich and delicious. Another advantage is the fat you're able to spoon off after it's refrigerated for the health conscious (although no butter is used in this recipe). It's pretty much a win win so there really is no excuse not to make this dish.

Like all the other dishes from Les Halles I've cooked so far, boeuf bourguignon is relatively simple to prepare. Cut up meat into cubes, sear on all sides, remove beef, sweat onions, deglaze with wine, add water, throw in bouquet garni/carrots/meat and simmer away for 2 hours. The book doesn't tell you to skim off all the impurities that rise during the simmering process but I skimmed them off anyways. I'm not sure if you're not supposed to or Tony just left it out but the first thing that comes to mind when I see gunk is to skim so I went with my gut feelings. Also, decent burgundy is definitely a must for this recipe. Don't you dare use that crap from the grocery store shelves labeled as "red cooking wine". It's disgusting, way too salty and lacks the depth and flavor of regular wine. Spend $20 or so on a decent burgundy or you'll regret how your bourguignon turns out at the end.

I can't reemphasize enough how inspiring this book has been for me in terms of cooking in general. As long as you have the prep work done and tackle the dish with a plan in mind, no recipe is impossible. Enter each dish with a positive attitude and don't let anything deter you away from trying a new recipe. Like I mentioned in my mushroom soup post - it's okay to screw up. Learn from your mistakes, know what you did wrong, how you screwed up and don't do it again. If I, a college student in professional school, can do it, so can you. No more excuses like I don't have time or I don't have the know how. Relax, plan, stay positive and take it one step at a time - nothing is impossible. I believe this attitude will not only enhance our culinary skills and knowledge but make cooking a lot more enjoyable as well.