Bison Au La Bourguigonne

Years ago, I had the privilege of taking a class from Julia Child, as well as attending a chat session with Julia & Jaques Pepin. Julia was great! Month’s ago I read “Julie Julia” and loved it, and then recently Dan & I saw the movie. As always, the book was better then the movie. It did get me thinking though, what is all the fuss about Mastering the Art of French Cooking? I had to buy a copy and see for myself. Cookbooks fill my kitchen, but it is rare that I sit down and read one, or follow a recipe. For this month’s recipe, I first followed Julia’s Bouef A La Bourguigonne to the tee, (I now know why the book “Julie”Julia” had a lot of swearing and drinking in it) and then modified it. If you are looking for Julia Child’s recipe, there are many places where you can find it. Below is my rendition, with Julia’s masterful influence. Bon Appétit!

*My changes were based on personal taste and steps I thought unnecessary. They are as follows: Omit simmering of bacon rind, Discard bacon after browning, S&P meat before browning, Omit flour step, Use vegetable or organic chicken stock, Added celery stalk, Added brandy, Added butter.

Although a bit more extensive then my usual recipe, it is worth it. Also – it can all be made ahead and reheated!

Ingredients for Bourguigonne:

1 – 2 lb. pkg. Wild Idea Bison Stew Meat or 1 – 3 lb. Bison Roast (Chuck, Sirloin Tip or Top Round), cut into Medallions
1 – tsp. Black Pepper
1 – tsp. Salt
6 oz. – Organic Bacon, cut into 2” strips (I used Wild Boar Bacon)
1- Tb – Olive Oil
1 – Tb Unsalted Butter
1 – Carrot, quartered
1 – Onion, quartered
1 – Celery Stalk, quartered
1 oz. Brandy
4 – cups – Red Wine, (Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Chianti)
1 cup – Vegetable Stock or Organic Chicken Stock
1 – tsp. each dried; Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Bay Leaf
3 – Cloves Garlic, chopped or mashed
1 – Small Tomato, diced or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 – Tb Arrow Root
¼ cup Parsley, chopped fine

Ingredients for Mushrooms & Onions:

18 – Small White Onions
1 ½ Tb. each Butter & Olive Oil
¼ cup each – Brown Stock & Red Wine
4 Parsley Sprigs, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp. Thyme
1 lb. Mushrooms, quartered
2 Tb Butter
1 Tb Olive Oil

For Bison Bourguigonne:

1.)    Pre-heat oven to 325*.
2.)    Rinse bison meat and pat dry, removing all dampness. If using roast, rinse pat dry, cut into medallions and pat medallions dry.
3.)    Season meat with salt and pepper.
4.)    In a heavy 10” skillet, 3” deep, over medium heat add 1 Tb. Olive Oil.
5.)    Sauté the bacon strip until browned. Remove and discard or *(Julia adds bacon back to pan while braising; I did not care for the smokiness it added to the sauce.)
6.)     Increase heat to medium high heat and brown the meat on all sides in batches, (4). Do not hurry to turn, allow to brown. This was tedious, but the end result was worth it.  When finished, drain excess fat from pan.
7.)    In the same pan, add 1 Tb. butter, and vegetables. Sauté vegetables for 4 minutes.
8.)    Add brandy to pan and flame.
9.)    Return Bison to pan, and add 3 cups red wine, stock, herbs, garlic and tomato. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in pre-heated oven.
10.) Braise bison for 1  hour or until meat is tender.
11.)  Strain juices, remove meat from pan, cover and set aside. Discard other solids and return juices to pan.
12.) Over medium high heat bring juices to a boil. Mix 1cup red wine & arrow root together and wisk into juices.  Adjust thickness as desired.
13.) Season sauce to taste. Return meat to sauce and heat through.

For Onions – Prepare while Bourguignonne is in oven:

*In the past, I have added the mushrooms & onions directly to the Bourguignonne, but this step was worth it. Place them where you will see them- so you do not forget to add!

1.)    In saucepan over medium heat, add butter and oil, and let come to a bubble.
2.)    Add onions, tossing to brown evenly. (My onions were too big, so I halved them. This made turning them a little tricky, but the presentation of the halved onion petals was beautiful. It also made eating them easier.)
3.)    In glass baking dish, add stock, wine and herbs.
4.)    Transfer browned onions to prepped baking dish and place in oven for 40 minutes or until liquids have evaporated.
5.)    Remove, cover and set aside. Reheat before serving.

For Mushrooms:

1.)    In saucepan over medium heat, add butter and oil, and let come to a bubble.
2.)    Add quartered mushrooms. Toss the pan, browning the mushrooms on all sides, about 5 minutes. *(The fats will quickly be absorbed, but will release after a couple of minutes and the mushrooms will brown nicely. – I did not know this & have always added more butter, but it really works.)
3.)    Remove from heat and set aside. Reheat with onions before serving.

To assemble: Serve Bourguignonne with buttered Fettuccini Noodles or boiled, buttered Baby Red Potatoes. Julia recommends accompanying with Minted, Buttered Peas, which went very nicely. I pre-plated the noodles/potatoes and ladled on the Bourguigonne, then placed the onions & mushroom on top and sprinkled with parsley. *The noodles were preferred by most. Pass peas separately.

Wine Pairing:

Dole des Monts, 2206 Red Wine from; Robert Gilliard winery, Valais Switzerland

I would not have known about this wine, but it was given as a gift, and what a delicious gift it was. A blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, give it a full fruitiness, and very smooth well balanced finish.  A must try!