Thursday, January 6, 2011

Oh the adventures I have had



Another Christmas present is something that I've had on my wish list for quite some time. An enameled cast iron dutch oven.



I made Beef Burgundy using the Cooks' Illustrated recipe. Essentially you put all the ingredients you would use to make a stock (onions, carrots, so forth) and you bundle them in cheese cloth. Then, after you've browned your beef and made a roux, you pour in a bottle of red (preferably a Burgundy) and some chicken stock. Then you stick the bag into the broth and stick the whole thing in the oven for hours. Finally you fry some mushrooms and pearl onions and add them in just before serving.



The pictures don't do the stew justice. I swear the broth matched the color of the enamel before it went in the oven.




They suggested serving it on mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, but I chose some buttered rice. The other swerving was that I only added half the beef called for in the recipe, as the grocery bill was starting to reach new heights.

The other nice thing about this is that I have plenty of left overs. One recipe makes a lot of portions, especially if you're serving it over some carb. I think it might be nice with a little cheese grated over the top, but that might be getting excessive.

My opinion on the recipe as a whole is just as The Boyfriend put it. "This is real good stew".

2 comments:

  1. Your stew looks delicious! It would be a lot less expensive minus the wine but probably not nearly as nummy! You have inspired me - this weekend I must make something savory in the crockpot!!

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  2. The wine was a $14 bottle on sale for $6. The recipe called for holding back about a half cup to add to the end which helps to make a sharp flavor that lets you enjoy the richness all the more for the contrast. Or they said it would taste better or something. I did it and it did indeed make for yummy foods.

    It would also be a lot less red.

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