Beef Bourguignon

                                                          

Could food mean to me what it meant before? The depth of flavor seemed possible only if life is normal again. But normal was before and not now. Flavors, textures,my passion for food; is it all gone? 

The aromatic, umami flavor of browned mushrooms, the creamy texture of briny oysters that makes you think of the few moments before an orgasm, the sharp tangy bite of preserved lemon with the tender scooped out meat of mussels on a piece of crunchy baguette. These flavors, textures and desires, do they have the anticipation, energy and truth they had before. The truth is they are all the more intense because I am waiting with breath that is baited. Waiting for the rightful return of what was, is and will always be mine. 

As you would wait for beef to soak in the deep, dark red wine and spices and tenderize for hours in an oven. The reddish brown juicy meat like the color and warmth and urgency of my beating heart. 

I followed a cast iron skillet recipe for short ribs from a book that Ms Burgundy had given me and amalgamated it with Julia Child’s classic recipe and partly followed my heart with one stick of cinnamon, one pod of Chinese cardamom, ten cloves, and three star anise seeds. The rich juices from the marrow, the full bodied Bordeaux and the spices seeped into the beef and it fell apart compliantly with a gentle push from a fork. The aromatic garlic, yellow onion, and butter browned mushrooms along with a few grains of rice gives you a fleeting glimpse of perfection albeit for a few seconds. The tiny potatoes cut threw the intensity of the tannin and spices. The aroma of beef, butter and browning filled every crevice and corner of my home. And everything was all right. For this Sunday evening at least. Bon Appetit.

Ms Burgundy's cast iron cookbook

And I added Julia Child's classic recipe for Beef Bourguignon

The aromatics, 2 yellow onions and a bowl of mushrooms.

with 4 pieces of garlic

The potatoes go into the dutch oven in the end

The carrots, celery along with onion is for the Mirepoix
The beans go into the pot along with the potatoes in the end

Thyme and Parsley for the bouquet garni
   

My twist with 1 cinnamon stick,, 1 Chinese cardamom, 3 star anise and a few pieces of clove

Tomato paste

2 cups of Bordeaux and 2 cups of beef stock

2 pounds of short ribs

From Julia Child, dry the meat otherwise it will not brown.( " Rombauer does not say a word about it in the 

Joy Of Cooking.")

Dry the meat

Season with salt and pepper

Brown in a Dutch Oven

Keep meat aside

4-5 carrots, 3 stalks of celery and 2 yellow onions diced, 4 pods of garlic and sauteed until soft

Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

Add spices, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and Chinese cardamom

Add bouquet garni of parsley and thyme

2 cups of red wine

2 cups of beef stock 

Add the short ribs and cover

Into the center of the oven

At 350 degrees for 2 hours and 30 min

Saute the mushrooms in some butter

Next these perfectly small potatoes

Finally the beans

After cooking the beef for 2 hours and 30 min; remove bouquet garni and add the browned potatoes, beans and mushroom

Cook in oven for another 15 min.

There is something about beef cooked in red wine and spices,slowly simmering in the pot.....

Serve with rice or noodles. Bon Appetit.