Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• One 6-oz piece chunk bacon
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, or Burgundy)
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• — PEARL ONIONS —
• 18–24 small white pearl onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter + 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• Herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme, tied in cheesecloth
• — MUSHROOMS —
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
• Remaining butter and oil

Instructions

1. Remove bacon rind and cut bacon into lardons (1/4-inch thick, 1 1/2-inch long). Simmer rind and lardons 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a flameproof casserole 2–3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Dry beef thoroughly in paper towels. Heat fat until almost smoking. Brown beef a few pieces at a time on all sides; add to lardons.
4. Brown carrot and onion in the same fat. Pour out excess fat.
5. Return beef and bacon to casserole; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle on flour, toss to coat. Bake uncovered in middle oven 4 minutes; toss again and bake 4 more minutes.
6. Remove casserole; reduce oven to 325°F. Stir in wine and enough stock to barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop.
7. Cover and braise in lower third of oven, regulating heat so liquid simmers very slowly, 3 to 4 hours until a fork pierces the meat easily.
8. While beef braises, prepare pearl onions: heat butter and oil in a skillet, sauté onions 10 minutes over moderate heat until lightly browned. Add 1/2 cup stock, salt, pepper, and herb bouquet. Cover and simmer 40–50 minutes until tender but holding shape. Remove herb bouquet; set onions aside.
9. Sauté mushrooms in remaining butter and oil over high heat 4–5 minutes until lightly browned.
10. When beef is tender, pour casserole through a sieve set over a saucepan. Return beef and lardons to the washed casserole; top with onions and mushrooms.
11. Skim fat from strained sauce. Simmer 1–2 minutes, skimming. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon. If too thin, boil down rapidly; if too thick, add a few tablespoons stock. Adjust seasoning.
12. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Simmer 2–3 minutes, basting everything. Serve from the casserole or on a platter with potatoes, noodles, or rice.