Dinner Review

The beef bourguignon was outstanding. Once again I think I over ate. The only change that I made was that at the part of the recipe where it calls to have you remove the meat from the casserole, wash the casserole and then put the meat back in. I took out the meat filled the casserole with boiled potatoes and then put the meat on top. VERY YUMMY!!

Definitions

As I read over the recipe again I was stopped by words that I had not heard of before so I decided to start a definitions list to help me remember.

Lardons: is a small strip or cube of pork fat (usually subcutaneous fat) used in a wide variety of cuisines to flavor savory foods and salads. In French cuisine, lardons are also used for larding, by threading them with a needle into meats that are to be braised or roasted. Lardons are not normally smoked, and they are made from pork that has been cured with salt.

Lardons may be prepared from different cuts of pork, including pork belly and fatback, or from cured cuts such as bacon  or salt pork. Since the true French lardon is salt-cured but not smoked, "the flavor comes through cleanly, more like ham but richer because the meat is from the belly of the pig, not the leg." One food writer takes this as evidence that the French "do bacon right." The meat (fat) is usually cut into small strips or cubes about one centimeter (3/8 inch) wide, then blanched or fried.

Some chefs recommend using pancetta as a substitute; ham is also suggested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lardon

Recipe 1

Beef Bourguignon

Kind of a big one to start with but I figured go big or go home. I found MANY different versions for this recipe and after reading them found that Julia Childs is actually the most user friendly recipe. The following is the original recipe - I am going to prepare this meal just like the recipe states. Then if necessary I will tweak it to my family's like. Only if they suggest it. :) So this is dinner for Sunday night I am actually very excited about it and look forward to commenting on the on taking!!! 

Total Time: 5 hours

Prep Time: 1 hours

Cook Time: 4 hours

For the Stew

6 oz bacon, solid chunk
1 T olive oil
3lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1t salt
1/4t pepper, freshly ground
2T flour
3c red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
2 -3c beef stock
1T tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)
1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dred thyme)
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

For the braised onions

18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2T unsalted butter
1 1/2T olive oil
1/2c beef stock
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms

1lb mushroom, quartered
2T unsalted butter
1T olive oil

Directions:

1. First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
2. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long.
3. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
4. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
6. Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
7. Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
8. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
9. Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
10. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
11. In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
12. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
13. Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
14. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
15. Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
16. Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.
17. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
18. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.
19. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.
20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
23. For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
24. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
25. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
26. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
27. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
28. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
29. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
30. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
31. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
32. To Finish the Stew:
33. When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
34. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
35. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
36. Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
37. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
38. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
39. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
40. Taste for seasoning.
41. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
42. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
43. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
44. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
45. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Intros and explainations

I don't know if anyone is actually going to be reading this besides myself but here goes nothing. there are so many things I want to do that I figured started a blog for the things that I am passionate about will help pull them more into focus as well as allow me to expand my knowledge of these things. So I decided to start this blog on cooking. To say I love to cook is to say that a gamer loves to play with toys - a COMPLETE understatement. I really do love to cook, I find it very calming and helps relieve the stress of the day/week.

I am self taught- never took a class - and my mother was the average stay at home mom style cook. My father was born in Georgia and I remember my grandmother's cooking when I was a child and wish that I knew what she did. She was an amazing cook and that again is an understatement. She never did anything fancy or foreign she did traditional southern style cooking. I think it was so good because of all the love and care that she put into the meal she was serving to her family. She had a small garden out in the back yard between the back porch and the barn that of coarse had the reddest tomatoes that I have ever since to this day growing in them. I am hoping within this next year to have a garden (very small) in my backyard. I plan on tomatoes, squash, and maybe cucumbers. I will just have to see how well things want to grow here in NM.

Well there is my inspiration. Let's get cooking and see what happens.