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Beef Braised in Red WineBoeuf a la Mode
May 18, 2020 | Updated February 9, 2023 | Laura
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✽ Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I | Julia Child ✽
Julia Child Recipe 110 | 418 recipes to go!
✽ Boeuf à la Mode [Beef Braised in Red Wine], p. 309
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✽ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.
✽ You can buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I which contains these recipes here. (affiliate link)
The purpose of this Julia Child section of my blog is to document my journey of learning how to cook. To show my successes, my failures, and what I learned along the way.
Since I didn't create these recipes (if only!), I do not post exact amounts of ingredients or word-for-word instructions. If any of these recipes spark your interest, I highly recommend you buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (affiliate link). It's a great investment and learning tool and contains hundreds of classic recipes.
What you will find on my blog is:
✽ Butter Count & Cost Total
✽ How the Recipe Tasted
✽ Answers to Questions about Recipe
✽ Fun Facts about Recipe or an Ingredient Used
✽ The Recipe Process
✽ Step-by-Step and Final Photos of Recipe
I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts, learn something new, and leave inspired to try a new recipe. Bon appétit!
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Butter Count & Cost: Beef Braised in Red Wine
✽ Butter Count: +5 TB
✽ Cost: $65.27 [~$5.93 per serving]
Check out the total Julia Child butter count & cost here!
→ Looking for a different Julia Child recipe? Here's a list of all of the completed and pending Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipes!
"Oh wow."
Those were the first words out of my mouth when I tried this braised beef for the first time while standing in my kitchen tired from this extensive recipe. Sometimes when making Julia meals you begin to wonder if each and every one of the steps matter. But once you take that first bite of your final creation, you know instantly that the answer to that question is always ‘yes.’
This braised beef is everything, and it takes me right back to my dining room table as a child. It’s so comforting.
If this recipe was this good, I can only imagine what the famous Boeuf Bourguingnon tastes like.
Red Wine Braised Beef: Questions
✽ What are good sides to serve with braised beef?
This braised beef is amazing with carrots and onions. So much in fact that Julia includes them in the recipe! As for other vegetable recommendations, braised lettuce, celery, leeks, or peas are good options too.
The cookbook also recommends serving with buttered noodles, potatoes, or rice.
As for wine, grab a red!
✽ What cuts of beef are good for braised beef?
The best choice, according to the cookbook, is rump pot roast followed by sirloin tip, chuck pot roast, top round, bottom round, and eye of round.
✽ Can you marinate meat at room temperature?
This recipe calls for marinating the beef for 6 hours at room temperature or 12-24 hours when marinating in the fridge.
It is said that marinating at room temperature speeds up the process by "opening up" the beef to allow the marinade to get deeper inside. Also, the enzymes in the marinade will work quicker at warmer temperatures breaking down the muscle faster (tenderizing it faster).
This is great except that the United States Department of Agricultures says to not leave raw meat outside of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. After the 2 hours period, bacteria is more likely to start growing and producing toxins leading to foodborne illness.
Despite this information, I still see people marinate their raw meat at room temperature longer than 2 hours and live to tell the tale.
Personally, I don't usually feel like taking the risk. My recommendation- plan ahead and start marinating your meat in the fridge the day before so you don't have to worry about bacteria!
✽ What should I do with leftover braised beef?
Oh, the possibilities! This braised beef leftover is amazing. My suggestion is make a beef sandwich. Get some homemade bread, pile on the leftover braised beef, add some onions, and maybe a bit of homemade mayonnaise. So so good!
Other great options include added it to a pan of nachos, topping a pizza with it, making tacos, or adding it into casserole or pot pie.
Looking for more Julia Child beef recipes to read about?
→ Check out all of the meat recipes that I've completed so far!
Fun Facts about Braising
*Find these facts plus lots more on Chef Gourmet, LLC.*
✽ What does the word braise mean?
'Braise' in French means 'live coals'. The French verb, 'braiser' means to cook food in a pot with a lid with vegetables in liquid over low fire.
✽ What is brown braising?
With brown braising, meat is cooked with oil in a pan first to brown and then put into the pot with the liquids to continue to cook.
✽ What is white braising?
With white braising, the meat is still cooked in the pan but not long enough to brown or it is blanched. Then the meat is cooked in a white liquid.
✽ What are common braising liquids?
The most common braising liquids I see are red or white wine and beef stock. You may also see vinegar, vermouth, beer, or even water being used.
How to Make Boeuf a la Mode
✽ Step 1: Red Wine Marinade
This recipe begins with a marinade. Whatever you do, do not skip the marinade time. It takes 12-24 hours, but it adds so much flavor.
The marinade consists of carrots, onions, celery, garlic, herbs, seasonings, red wine, brandy, and oil. This is a marinade that I can see myself using for steak or any other beef actually. VERY delicious.
About half hour before you are ready to cook, take the meat out of the marinade and drain. Dry the meat off with paper towels so the meat will brown beautifully.
✽ Step 2: Brown the Meat
Cooking oil is added to a casserole dish and the meat is browned on all sides. You’ll want to eat it after this because it is going to smell SO good but you must wait. The best is yet to come.
✽ Step 3: Add Liquids & Put in Oven
Pour out the fat and pour in the wine marinade in order to make a reduction. Fresh ham rind is added and beef stock is added until the liquid is two-thirds of the way up the meat.
Bring to a simmer, skim, cover, and place in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours for a five pound piece of beef. I used chuck pot roast since it was readily available during this pandemic. The meat is turned many times during the braising process.
✽ Step 4: Cook Carrots & Onions
While the beef is doing its thing in the oven, it’s carrot and onion time. Carrots are braised in butter which was my Recipe #44.
This recipe also requires brown-braising pearl onions. I decided not to count this as a new recipe since they were mixed in with the sauce. I love onions so I look forward to cooking these as a side of their own.
The onions are sautéed in butter and oil for a few minutes. Beef bouillon is poured in and seasonings and an herb bouquet (parsley, bay leaf, and thyme) are added. It is covered and simmered for about an hour. All good things take time I suppose.
✽ Step 5: Remove Meat & Make Sauce
Once the meat is done, remove from the oven, skim the fat off of the juices, and strain through a sieve into a pot. Simmer the liquids for a couple minutes and then reduce down a bit. Beat in a starch and Madeira mixture and simmer for a couple minutes to allow it to thicken.
Add the carrots and onions and simmer for a couple more minutes to ensure all the flavors get to know each other.
✽ Step 6: Decorate & Serve
Decorate the meat with parsley, arrange vegetables around the meat, pour some of that wonderful sauce over everything, and enjoy.
As Julia says, “it is delicious to smell, look at, and eat.” I also made cheesy potatoes which I highly recommend with this meal.
*This blog, Laura the Gastronaut, and this post were/are not endorsed or supported by Julia Child or The Julia Child Foundation.
Category: Julia Child, Meat Cuisine: French
Keywords: boeuf a la mode recipe, julia child braised beef recipe, beef marinated in red wine, red wine marinade recipe, french braised beef
✽ Did you make this recipe too?
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More Beef Recipes:
✽ Braised Filet of Beef (this fancy braised beef is stuffed with foie gras and truffles)
✽ Minced Braised Beef Served in a Beef Shell (one of my favorite Julia Child recipes)
✽ Beef and Onions Braised in Beer (another delicious braised beef except this time with beer)
→ Check out all of the completed Julia Child meat recipes!
✽ You can find this recipe and all the other Julia Child recipes I make in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I (affiliate link).
→ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.
✽ Check out my Julia Child Recipe Checklist to see a list of all my completed and pending recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking!
Bon appétit!
May 18, 2020 by Laura Ehlers
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