Albuquerque Journal

STILL DELICIOUS

Boeuf bourguigno­n is one of The Washington Post’s most popular recipes ever

- BY BECKY KRYSTAL

There are more than 9,200 recipes in The Washington Post archives. The new dishes are what tend to capture the most attention, but there are certain entries that keep trucking along. We don’t always know exactly why. In any event, Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguigno­n is one of those entries, repeatedly breaking into our mostviewed recipes of the year. At close to 200 ratings, with an average score of 4½ stars (out of 5), this is one of our highest- and most-rated recipes.

The recipe first appeared in 2004 in a piece by former Post staffer Judith Weinraub about three cookbooks focused on French bistro cooking: Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris,” Bourdain’s “Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook” and Thomas Keller’s “Bouchon.”

She had the clever idea to examine the difference­s in each book’s approach through the lens of boeuf bourguigno­n, a classic dish featuring beef braised in red wine (i.e. Burgundy) and often including onions and mushrooms. The emphasis of Bourdain’s is on the meat and the sauce.

I’ll add a few more tips of my own. As far as the wine, don’t be turned off by the Burgundy denominati­on. Burgundy (in this case red) refers to wine made in the Burgundy region of France. Red Burgundy is made with pinot noir grapes, so feel free to grab a bottle labeled as pinot noir that fits within your price range. Make it something you will drink — only 1 cup is used in cooking, and you’ll want to sip the rest while you enjoy the dish.

Pat your meat as dry as you can before cooking to limit the amount of splatterin­g while you sear. You’ll want to stay within reach during the 2 to 2½ hours of braising time so that you can stir and scrape occasional­ly to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot.

It also freezes well, meaning you can put in the initial investment and reap the rewards in the days or weeks to come.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S BOEUF BOURGUIGNO­N

Active time: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Total time: 4 hours | 6 to 8 servings

Make ahead: For best flavor, this dish should be made 1 day in advance. The stew will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerat­or and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerat­or or microwave and finish heating on the stove top.

Where to buy: Demi-glace is a concentrat­ed sauce typically made with a meat stock and sometimes wine; it is available in the soup aisle of large grocery stores.

2 pounds boneless beef shoulder or neck (chuck), cut into 1½-inch pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil, divided

4 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 2

tablespoon­s all-purpose flour

1 cup red burgundy wine (such as pinot noir)

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 clove garlic

1 bouquet garni (a tied bundle of herbs, typically thyme, bay and parsley)

Water Demi-glace (optional; see headnote)

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish Thoroughly pat the meat dry with paper towels and generously season it with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch oven over high heat, heat half of the oil until shimmering. Working in several batches, and without moving the meat much, sear the meat on all sides until well browned, adding more oil as needed. (If you try to cook too much meat at once, it will steam and turn gray instead of brown.) Once the meat is well browned, transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onions and any remaining oil to the pot. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions have softened and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and cook, stirring occasional­ly, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, stir, scraping up all the browned bits (fond) off the bottom of the pot.

Once the wine starts to boil, return the meat and its accumulate­d juices to the pot, and add the carrots, garlic and the bouquet garni. Add 1½ cups of water (and about 2 tablespoon­s of demi-glace, if you have it). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the meat is tender, 2 to 2½ hours, skimming off any foam or oil that might accumulate on the surface. Check on the stew every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching or sticking. As you check on the stew, continue adding ¼ cup to ½ cup water, as needed, up to 2½ to 3 cups total — to ensure there is enough liquid to cook down and concentrat­e. If the stew begins to stick, reduce the heat to low. The onions should fall apart, creating a thick, rich sauce that coats the meat.

When the stew is done, discard the bouquet garni, taste the stew and season with more salt, if desired. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Nutrition (based on 8 servings) | calories: 414; total fat: 29 g; saturated fat: 10 g; cholestero­l: 81 mg; sodium: 129 mg; carbohydra­tes: 12 g; dietary fiber: 2 g; sugar: 5 g; protein: 21 g.

Adapted from “Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking,” by Anthony Bourdain with

Jose de Meirelles and Philipe Lajaunie

 ?? JUSTIN TSUCALAS/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST ?? Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguigno­n is repeatedly one of The Washington Post’s most-viewed recipes.
JUSTIN TSUCALAS/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguigno­n is repeatedly one of The Washington Post’s most-viewed recipes.

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