Boeuf Bourguignon: Revised

Another slow-cooker favourite! This recipe literally means "burgundy beef" in French, and it is simply a delicious beef stew made with red/burgundy wine. I served this when my father and brother came over after a cold day of ice fishing. I also made it for a group of my friends for a cold and rainy cottage weekend! It's great on a chilly day, it will feed a crowd, and it's so sophisticated! I adapted this recipe from the Crock Pot website.  

Never forget the red wine in this recipe! It's what makes it so darn good. **April 2010: I have found a better way of making this - I have changed very little on paper, but the effects are tremendous. Please enjoy!**

6 strips bacon, diced
3 lbs. beef rump (or any tasty cut), cubed
1 very large carrot, sliced on the bias
1 onion, sweet, diced
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 10-oz. can condensed beef broth
2 c. red/burgundy wine
1 can tomato paste *(used to be 1 Tbsp.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. thyme, whole
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. mustard powder *(used to be 1 tsp.)
1 bay leaf
1 - 2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced
*Extras, if you like: diced celery, diced tomatoes, chopped sweet peppers.

3 - 4 Tbsp. flour
3 - 4 Tbsp. butter or oil

Cook bacon until crisp. Brown beef cubes with bacon, and add to your crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, except the flour and oil, into the pot as well. Mix gently. Cook on HIGH for 5 - 6 hours, or LOW 10 - 12 hours.

A few minutes before you are ready to serve, heat up the butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and whisk in the flour until it has formed a uniform paste. Stir this mixture into the crock pot, and keep the heat on until the stew has thickened significantly. Use more oil and flour if you want your stew to be thicker. *(Before, I had you add the flour before the long, slow cook - this is incorrect! You get a much nicer, thicker texture by adding your roux slurry afterward. The long cook just ends up breaking down whatever flour you added in the beginning)

Serve over lots of creamy, buttery, whipped potatoes (skin-on)!

Glögg

The Swedes have devised a delicious drink reminiscient of the Holidays. It is called Glögg. Truly all it is, is mulled wine; but there are some extra ingredients that make this a real treat. Cassis (or blackcurrant) syrup is one of them.

Find a bottle of non-alcoholic Glögg (the "ö" is pronounced like "oo" in the word "good," but with your tongue kinda curled) at your local IKEA store. Dilute it down with some red wine when you get home, and I like to dilute it even further with some water, to taste. It is very sweet and rich if you drink it as-is. Then I put my mug in the microwave for a couple minutes to make it hot. Feel free to heat up larger quantities of this wonderful stuff in a saucepan until it is simmering.

The Swedes serve it in a clear mug with a stick or two of cinnamon, some sliced almonds, and a few golden raisins. Yes, they plop the nuts and raisins right into the drink. Enjoy this heart-warmer with some gingersnaps on the side on a cold winter night.

Ribeye Steak with Garlic-Mushroom Sauce

My Aunt sent me this recipe via email, and I finally made it last night. According to J, it was "excellent!" and he is never so enthusiastic about food! The ribeye steaks are extremely tender - don't skimp out on your cut of steak. Go ribeye or go home. My Aunt's recommendation: "From someone who's made the recipe many times - take the sauce off the heat as soon as it turns syrupy.  If you don't, it will disappear!" Source of recipe: Unknown.

Among beef-eaters in South Louisiana, rib-eye reigns as the “king of steaks”. Well-marbled beef is cut into slabs 1½ to 2-inches thick. Grill, broil or pan-grill to individual perfection. Pan-grilling is a favored method of cooking meats in Cajun-Creole country. This is probably due, in part, to the fact that we do wonderful things with the browned bits of meat glaze left in the bottom of the pan. Here two Cajun-Creole favorites, mushrooms and garlic, are added. The whole garlic cloves acquire a mild, nut-like taste during cooking that gives a delightful flavor bonus. Serve steaks with a green salad and potatoes for a sample of Cajun-Creole Saturday-night supper fare.

4 x 15-oz beef rib-eye steaks, cut about 1 inch thick

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Garlic-Mushroom Sauce, see below

Garlic-Mushroom Sauce:

1 lb. small button mushrooms

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

½ c. Burgundy wine

16 medium garlic cloves, peeled

2 c. brown veal stock or beef broth

Salt to taste

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Pat steaks dry on paper towels; season both sides with salt and pepper. In a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter and vegetable oil. When oil mixture is very hot, add 2 steaks; cook to desired degree of doneness. Using tongs, turn steaks every minute during cooking. For rare steaks, cook a total of 5 to 6 minutes. For medium steaks, cook 7 to 8 minutes. For well-done steaks, cook 9 to 10 minutes. Repeat with 2 remaining steaks; keep warm. Prepare sauce. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

To prepare Garlic-Mushroom Sauce, using a damp paper towel, wipe mushrooms; set aside. Working quickly, place skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; stir to blend. Sauté, tossing mushrooms and garlic constantly, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Add wine; swirl pan. Scrape up browned bits from bottom. Cook, stirring quickly, until wine is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock; reduce to a glaze, about 10 minutes.