Foodie Friday: Boneless Beef Shortribs Meets Beef Borgognone

I have Julia's classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her bouf borgognone is a masterpiece of fussiness.  There is something to be said about studying perfection, learning the right way, but I didn't stop there.  I learned to take the concept apply it, to make it my way.  

What is being started above, is a slow braise, or stew of boneless beef short ribs, in a burgundy wine sauce. Here is how I do it, 

    Peel and roughly chop an onion, 

    Saute the onion in a little olive oil in a heavy dutch oven or stock         pot. You want to start the onion cooking before adding the wine. 

    Add to this two to four stalks of celery roughly chopped,

    One carrot, roughly chopped

    Mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped.  

The vegetables are there for a flavor base, don't worry about how precisely they are chopped, after 3-5 hours of cooking they will have given up their flavor and be mush you will toss away.  

    Salt and pepper the beef, and add to the pan.  You can use stew beef, or a cheap roast cut into chunks. This low and slow method of cooking is aimed at making a tough cut of beef fall apart tender.  

    Pour over half a bottle of red wine.  Something worth drinking. 

    Cover, and move to the oven, set at about 300 degrees F.  

    Check it every hour or so.  You may need to add liquid, water, stock     or more wine. 

    Cooking time will be 3-5 hours.  

    When the beef starts to fall apart. 

    

    Trim and cut potatoes

    Peel and cut up carrots (parsnips, and white turnips are good)

    Mushrooms in chunks. 

    Add these to the beef, return to the oven for 45 minutes or until the     potatoes are tender.

Remove the beef and veggies from the pan, strain the liquid,discarding the mushy veggies. Make a sauce or gravy with a basic flour roux and the strained liquid.

There are few steps, but many fewer than the classic.  It is good stuff.  Great cold weather cooking, as the oven will be on all afternoon.