Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon is our inspiration for Wednesday's Plat du Jour. After seeing Julie and Julia we knew we had to add this fabulous dish to our weekly dinner special menu - and our customers are glad we did!

Let us do all the hard work (Julia's recipe God Bless Her has 17 ingredients and 25 steps) - for $10.95 you too can savor this delectable recipe! So, of course, we always bring it home for dinner on Wednesdays (if there are any left) and as we were discussing the joy of savoring a hearty stew in the dead of winter I asked Richard the question, "What's the difference between this dish and the Coq au Vin we frequently make as a lunch special?"

And he said "there really are very few differences". "Few dishes are as well known as Boeuf Bourguignon and its' cousin Coq au Vin. Both are cooked in red wine and the signature garnishes for both include glazed pearl onions, quartered mushrooms and fried bacon called 'lardons'. The beef (good chuck is the most reliable and tasty), is simmered for several hours with red wine until the connective tissue dissolves into a rich smooth sauce. The same braising technique is used for the chicken (or in the old days 'cock') in the Coq au Vin. The other major difference between these two dishes is that the Coq au Vin is a more humble dish that can be more freely adapted by the individual cook.

The Boeuf tradition harkens back to the strict tenants of classical French cooking with very specific steps that need to be followed. The traditional accompaniment to both is boiled potatoes or noodles, and more red wine of course. ; (We also think mashed potatoes are delicious.) So, next Wednesday, when you're fighting off the chill of winter, and wondering what's for dinner - call us to pre-order your beef bourguignon as it sells out fast! As Julia would say "Bon Appetit"!!