Boeuf Bourguignon II

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Happy Weekend!  This is another recipe from the Weight-Watching chapter from the GH Cookbook.  There is a few steps in this recipe yet it was quite easy to make.  The recipe says that you can make this the day ahead if you want, and so I made this last night, let it cool, and then warmed it up today.  Since this is a "dieters" recipe the serving size says 6, yet if you want a "normal" serving size this would probably feed 3 people, or 2 hungry folks.

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(recipe and instructions are written as found in cookbook)

(290 calories per serving)

All-purpose flour
2 Tablesp. butter or margarine
3 tablesp. cognac
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablesp. dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 teasp. dried thyme
3 cups water
2 teasp. bottled sauce for gravy
Salt
1/2 teasp. hickory-smoked salt
1 lb. small white onions
1 lb. mushrooms
1 teasp. lemon juice


Boeuf Bourguignon II
1 lb. round steak
Day before, if desired:  Start heating oven to 350 degrees F.  Trim fat from beef; cut beef into 1" cubes; roll cubes in flour until completely covered.  In 1 tablesp. butter or margarine, in a Dutch oven, brown beef on all sides.  Add cognac and ignite;  when flames have subsided, add garlic, carrots, celery, chopped onions, parsley flakes, bay leaf, thyme, 2 cups water, sauce, 2 teasp. salt, and hickory salt.  Stir to distribute spices; simmer 2 to 3 min.; cover tightly, then bake 2 hr., or until meat is tender

One half hour before meat is done:  Wash and peel small white onions (halve those more than 1" in diameter); boil, in salted water to cover, until tender - about 20 min.  Wash and stem mushrooms (halve caps more than 1 1/2" in diameter); saute caps and stems in 1 tablesp. butter or margarine and lemon juice until brown - about 15 minutes.  Make a smooth paste from 2 tablesp. flour and 1/4 cup water.  To meat mixture, add drained onions, mushrooms, paste, and 3/4 cup water; simmer until gravy has thickened, stirring to prevent sticking.  Refrigerate until 20 min. before serving time, then reheat over low heat until hot.  Makes 6 servings.

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Notes:

• I had no hickory salt.  I did not go out searching for any, either, because I dunno how much I would use it.  I just used regular salt.
• "Bottled Sauce for Gravy" is Kitchen Bouquet.  I could not find this at my local Kroger Marketplace, but I did find it at my WalMart Neighborhood Market.  You can also find it online.
• I chose not to ignite the cognac after I added it because I am not that adventurous and I rent my home, lol.  Once you add the cognac to the hot pan it does a good enough job of cooking out the alcohol without needing to be ignited, yet if you are adventurous and actually own your own home - go for it!
• If you do not want to use cognac you could use beef broth, or even chicken broth for a lighter taste.
• Please buy frozen pearl onions.  You could by them fresh and spend all day peeling them, or you can buy them frozen and de-thaw them and save so much time and sanity.
• This is a very hearty dish.  My husband and I split it into just 2 big servings to eat for lunch and I could not finish my portion, and neither could he.  It is very rich, very dense, and very filling.  The beef is very tender, and even after the long cooking time (and sitting overnight) the carrots did not fall apart.  I, personally, am not a fan of pearl onions and would just use chopped onions in its place - so if you are like me please feel free to add whatever onions you like.
• If you want to serve this the same day you make it please do!  You do not have to make it the night ahead of time.

Regarding the following video:  near the end of the video I said to add, "two tablespoons of milk to a fourth of a cup of flour," when I should have said, "two tablespoons of FLOUR to a fourth of a cup of WATER." Forgive my silliness! It looked like milk and I have had no sleep. :)