Julia Child's Beef Bourguinon

We attended a dinner party several years ago where the host served us this recipe. I absolutely fell in love with this dish. I have tried several other recipes but this one is the best hands down. I was trying to determine what to serve for a dinner party we were having and thought this was perfect fall inspired dish. It also gives me a chance to use my 13 quart Le Creuset Round Oven which I just love. Along with the Beef Bourguinon I served a mixed green salad with goat cheese, dried figs, walnuts and a fig walnut vinaigrette, crusty French bread and Ina's Apple Pear Crisp.

Beef Bourguinon
Recipe from Juila's Kitchen Wisdom

Cooking time: about 2 1/2 hours

6 ounces blanced bacon lardons (basically bacon boiled and simmered, then rinsed)
About 4 lb trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups sliced onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 bottle red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (I used canned)
1 medium herb bouquet (8 parsley sprigs, 4 cloves of garlic, 4 cloves and 1 tsp dried thyme tied in cheese cloth)
Buerre manie for the sauce: 3 tbsp flour blended to a paste with 2 tbsp butter
For the garnish 24 brown briased small white onions (I omitted) and 3 cups sauteed quartered mushrooms

Saute lardons to brown lightly in a little oil in a large frying pan. Set aside to simmer with beef.
Brown the meat on all sides in the oil and rendered fat from the lardons. Season with salt and pepper. Remove meat and place in a heavy casserole. Add the sliced vegetables to the pan and brown and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan with wine pouring into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet.

Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer slowly on the stove or in a preheated 325 degree oven until the meat is tender.

Drain through a colander set over a saucepan and return the meat to the casserole. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then degrease and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manie, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens. Correct seasoning and pour over meat, folding in the mushrooms and the onions.