Beef Stew With Rice Onions And Tomatoes Boeuf À La Catalane Recipes

BEEF STEW WITH RICE, ONIONS, AND TOMATOES [BOEUF À LA CATALANE]

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil (or beef dripping or lard) in a big skillet over medium heat in and lightly brown the bacon. Remove from the pot and transfer to a big deep casserole (Dutch oven - highest and best use of cast iron le Creuset pot) with a tight fitting lid. Dry the meat so it will brown well. Brown the meat quickly in the rendered bacon fat. Once browned, place it in the casserole with the bacon. Lower heat to medium-low, and brown the shallots. Transfer to the casserole with the meat. Add additional oil (or fat of choice) to the skillet if too dry and cook the rice over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside until later. Add the wine and stir over medium heat to dissolve any food scrapings in the pan. Add to the casserole and add stock or bouillon almost to the height of the meat. Stir in the pepper and herbs. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover tightly, and set in lower position of preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove casserole from oven. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, cover, and return to the oven for an additional hour of simmering. When the meat is almost fork tender, remove pot from oven. Skim off any excess fat. Stir in the rice. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and set back in the oven for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Do not stir the rice. At the end of the time it should be tender and have absorbed almost all the liquid. Just before serving, fold the cheese into the beef and rice.

BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNONNE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the beef, 2 cups of wine, the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bouquet garni. Marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
• Strain the meat and vegetables from the wine, reserving the wine. Separate the meat from the vegetables. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and brown, then transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
• Slowly add the marinated beef to the hot bacon fat. Don't crowd the pan or the meat won't brown. Depending on the size of the pan, you may want to brown the meat in two or three batches. Let the meat brown on one side before turning it.
• Once all the meat is browned, return it to the pan, add the marinated vegetables, reserved wine marinade, and beef stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and turn the heat to low. Check the pot after about 5 minutes to make sure that it isn't simmering too high. You want a little bubble every few seconds, but not a boil. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender when pierced with the point of a knife.
• Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the pearl onions, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the onions, giving them a toss every now and then to keep them from burning.
• After 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine and cook until no liquid remains in the pan, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• When the stew is done, strain the meat and vegetables, being sure to reserve the liquid. Cool the meat and vegetables, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Pick out the bouquet garni and discard. Return the liquid to the pan and heat over medium heat until it boils, then cook down until about 1 1/2 cups of liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the flour and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter together with a fork, then whisk into the simmering sauce. The sauce will thicken and become velvety. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot and add the mushroom-onion mixture along with the bacon. Heat the stew to a simmer to reheat all the ingredients.
• Sprinkle the parsley over the stew and serve hot directly from the pot.
• Note: In this recipe, use a wine that you might be drinking with this dish. Typically the French would use a Burgundy wine (pinot noir) in this recipe but feel free to use a merlot, zinfandel, Syrah, or Shiraz. They all work just fine.

BEEF AND BARLEY STEW A LA BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Place beef in a bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss with flour to coat, shaking off excess flour.
• Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a large stock pot, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet.
• Place the floured beef cubes in the still-hot skillet; cook in batches until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer beef to the pot with the bacon. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, celery, chopped onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the pot.
• Remove the skillet from heat. Pour in red wine and cognac. Return the skillet to heat; light the liquid on fire with a long match or lighter to burn off the alcohol. Transfer the liquid to the pot once the flame has died out.
• Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Stir in stewed tomatoes, beef broth, consomme, vinegar, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring stew occasionally, until flavors combine, about 1 hour. Add barley; continue cooking until tender, about 1 hour more.
• Place pearl onions in the previously used skillet with water to cover; boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 inch water in the skillet. Return onions to the skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until water evaporates and onions are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add to the stew; add peas.
• Melt butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add to the stew; remove and discard bay leaves.
• Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add slurry, 1 1/2 teaspoons at a time, to the stew, bringing to a boil after each addition until desired thickness is reached, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish stew with parsley.