What?? You have 3 1/2 hours with absolutely nothing to do also!?!

The last couple weeks of my life have included paint, plaster, carpet and more paint. Somehow, vacation is not actually being a vacation. I guess I knew that going in, but this has been almost more exhausting than work. One of the things that I have been doing for fun, though, is cooking things that I never took the time to do before. I mean, I can't work all day, get home after 6 pm, and then make a meal that takes 3-4 hours to cook. We would be throwing food down, tossing dishes into the dishwasher and running off to bed. Never mind the fact that I would most likely pass out in my plate of food once I finally got to sit down and eat. And weekends? I don't want to spend half of my hard earned Saturday standing in the kitchen. So, I am attempting things like Beouf Bourguignon and homemade Mole while I can. I think Josh is enjoying my vacation more than I am. He gets the house worked on, amazing dinners, and really great lunches made up of leftovers.

This past Tuesday, I decided to make this time consuming French dish that was recently made popular again by Julie and Julia. My version is very similar to Julia's, but with slightly fewer steps and just as many dirty dishes. I cleaned as I went along, and it still took two of us 25 minutes to clean up after dinner. This dish is for someone who REALLY wants to attempt classic French cooking. It is a lot of work, but I am not going to lie--it is SO GOOD!!!

Boeuf Bourguignon

1 tbls olive oil
6oz bacon cut into 1/4" slices
3 lb bottom roast cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 med onion cut into 1/4" slices
2 carrots cut into 1/4" slices
3 tbls flour
3 cups red wine (big, full bodied)
2-3 cups beef broth
2 tbls tomato paste
4-5 cloves garlic smashed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large heavy skillet (I used cast iron) heat the oil over medium/high heat, and saute bacon for 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to oven proof casserole/dutch oven. In batches, begin browning beef. Saute each side for a couple of minutes, salting and peppering each batch to taste. Transfer to same dish as bacon. When finished, add a little olive oil if necessary, and saute carrots and onion until lightly browned. Add beef and bacon back to skillet, sprinkle flour over all, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and 1 cup of broth, tomato, garlic, and herbs. Stir to combine and heat through to simmering. Pour back into casserole and add enough broth to just cover all ingredients. Cover and put in oven. Cook in oven for about 3 hours. check occasionally in first half hour to make sure it is simmering (not a fast boil), and adjust oven temp as needed. I eventually lowered my oven to 325 degrees for duration.
About an hour before stew is done, start onions:

Braised Onions

1 1/2 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 tbls butter
18-24 pearl onions
1/2 c beef broth
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. Add peeled onions (instructions for doing this should be on bag of onions) and saute for about 10 minutes, rolling frequently to brown evenly. Add broth and herbs, season to taste, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes. I just shoved them in the oven along with the stew and let them simmer there.

About 10 minutes before stew and onions are done, start mushrooms:

Sauteed Mushrooms

1 1/2 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 tbls butter
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. When butter stops frothing, add mushrooms and saute, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Assembly!!
I served this over bowtie pasta, but it could be served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or even rice. Spoon the carbohydrate of your choice onto a large platter. Using a slotted spoon, add stew meat, onions, and carrots over top, leaving sauce and herbs in casserole. Spoon onions and mushrooms over top. Strain sauce, or if you are lazy like me, simply pull out the herbs and any large chunks. Adjust seasoning as needed. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If it is too thin, simmer over low/medium heat to reduce. Pour over top of everything and serve.