Finally I came around all the school work and occasional social events back to my regular cooking on the weekend. As a result of over eating in Shenandoah National Park last weekend, I have restrained myself to a vegetarian diet this week, and decided if I could make it through I would make beouf bourguignon on the weekend. Okay, I don't think I lost a substantial amount of weight, but I did get back in shape somewhat. So it's time to spoil myself a little. Actually, the spoiling started on Friday when I had this sudden urge to bake and made shortbread. A sinful food because you can't stop eating it! Anyway, I made my beouf bourguignon.
I followed Julia's suggestion to dry the beef before brown them and I did not crowd them in the pan. Unfortunately I had used too much mushroom in my chicken meuniere yesterday so I didn't have enough mushroom for today, and I also didn't use small onions as a whole but instead chopped up big onions into big chunks. I think all worked well nonetheless.
I believe the most important secret to the success is the total use of wine and broth instead of water. I did not add a single drop of water in it but used entirely red cooking wine and chicken broth, with of course, the natural juice from the food and beef fat. I am sure it'll turn out to be even better if I had used authentic burgundy wine and beef broth. But I had to deal with what I had, and it was not bad.
Like always, whenever I was in the kitchen with my cookbook, I could feel Julia Child was with me.
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