Gretchen’s Table: Re-create Anthony Bourdain’s beef bourguignon

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

One benefit of being a food editor is that I get the opportunity to try out recipes from the latest cookbooks, often before they have even made it onto store shelves. It keeps me on my toes with what’s trending, and over the years it has had the fringe benefit of greatly expanding my culinary skills.

But these days, I’m also tempted on a daily basis by what ends up on my social media feeds.

Click once on a recipe that looks good, and thanks to algorithms that influence what pops up on your screen, chances are you’ll be inundated with that chef or restaurant’s content again and again.

Lately, for me, the late great Anthony Bourdain has been making regular appearances on my phone as I food scroll.

Known for his straight-talking, unpretentious take on cooking and exploration of global cuisine through his shows “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown,” Bourdain was and continues to be loved for his candid and (sometimes) unfiltered take on food. Home cooks also appreciate his practical cooking tips and techniques.

His recipe for beef bourguignon, which popped up on my screen a few days ago, is a great example.

Julia Child might be responsible for popularizing the classic, slow-cooked French stew in which chunks of beef shoulder are slowly braised in red wine with onions and carrots until the meat is tender enough to almost melt in your mouth. But Bourdain, with his devil-be-damned demeanor, somehow makes the dish feel approachable — even though the two chefs’ recipes are pretty similar.

With the price of beef going up and up, this could be considered a special occasion dish for a chilly December night. But you also could substitute lean stewing beef. I was lucky to find a chuck roast on sale.

Be sure not to splurge on the wine for the stew — any good-quality inexpensive dry red wine will work in this dish. I used pinot noir, but cabernet sauvignon or merlot will also work even though they are not burgundies.

The stew tastes even better the second day.

Anthony Bourdain’s Beef Bourguignon

PG tested

2 pounds boneless beef shoulder or chuck, cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

4 onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup red burgundy wine such as pinot noir

6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 garlic clove

1 bouquet garni

Demi-glace, optional

Chopped flat parsley

Season the meat with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat, in batches — NOT ALL AT ONCE! — and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not gray). If you dump too much meat in the pot at the same time, you’ll overcrowd it; cool the thing down and you won’t get good color.

Sear the meat a little at a time, removing it and setting it aside as it finishes. When all the meat is a nice dark brown color and has been set aside, add onions to the pot.

Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over the onions. Continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add red wine. Naturally, you want to scrape up all that really good fond from the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon.

Bring the wine to a boil.

Return the meat to the pot and add carrots, garlic and bouquet garni. Add just enough water (and two big spoons of demi-glace if you have it) so that the liquid covers the meat by one-third — meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. This is a stew, so you want plenty of liquid, even after it cooks down and reduces.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and let cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is break-apart-with-a-fork tender.

You should check the dish every 15 or 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat is not sticking or, even worse, scorching. You should also skim off any foam or scum or oil collecting on the surface using a large spoon or ladle.

When done, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add chopped parsley to the pot and serve.

Serves 8.

— “Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook” by Anthony Bourdain

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