In the last decade there has been a remarkable change in consumer consciousness about the way in which our meat is raised and slaughtered. Movies and books like, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”, “Food, Inc.”, “Forks over Knives”, and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” to name a few, have lifted the veil of ignorance on the truth behind modern livestocking practices, and have offered us real alternatives to eating our beef, but in a way that supports our ethical values. Like the Clark family of Applecheek Farms in Vermont, and Polyface farms in Virginia, there has been a backlash movement by farmers to unhook from the modern machinery of hormones, antibiotics, commercial corn feeds and inhuman practices and return to more traditional farm practices as well as cutting-edge farming science. For the consumer, (us little guys), this means that we are now able to eat quality meat from animals that are raised according to natural principles: cows get to eat the grass they were designed to eat and chickens get to chase grubs and eat seeds. There is no doubt that eating commercial-grade meats causes nutritional stress on our bodies, and that even the flavor of humanely and traditionally raised beef and chicken is miles ahead. Ask any gourmand and they will always choose grass-fed over corn fed! So I urge you to souce out locally raised meat, where you know the animals were traditionally raised, fed natural foods, and humanely slaughtered.
This is one of my favorite winter stews, the classic Bouef Bourguignon. Though it’s a classic french recipe, with an incredibly rich taste and texture, it is actually quite easy to make. I showed my mom how to make it last winter and it’s now one of her favorite recipes.
What you’ll need:
2 oz bacon lardons (thick bacon cut into little cubes or strips)
about 1 1/4 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
1 T olive oil
2 shallots, small dice
1 small carrot, peeled and small dice
1/2 celery stalk, small dice
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
salt
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth (you can buy organic broth in cans or in tetra paks)
Sachet filled with 1 bay leaf; garlic clove, smashed; 5 parsley stems; 2 stalks thyme, 5 peppercorns
4 baby onions
1 leek, sliced into 1″ coins
4 baby carrots, peeled
3 small fingerlings
In a medium sauce-pan, brown the bacon until it is crispy and then remove from the pan. Pat the beef dry, add the olive oil and 1/2 of the beef to the pan, browning on all sides. Remove the beef, and the rest of the chunks, and brown all of them as well, (remember that when browning you need to leave the beef to sear on one side without moving it). Once the beef is browned, remove it, add the shallot, carrot and celery to the pan, and brown those as well. This should take less than 10 minutes in total. Return the beef and bacon to the pot, sprinkle on the flour and some salt, pour in the wine and broth, and bring to a lively boil. Immediately turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour, or until the meat is almost tender. Add the remaining vegetables to the pot, cover again, and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes or until the vegetables are done.
Distribute the stew into 4 serving bowls, top with parsley leaves, and serve with a side of sauteed greens like kale or swiss chard.
Parsley for garnish
