Y2 Wagyu Recipes:
Wagyu Brisket Bourguignon:
When thinking of classic French cooking, beef bourguignon often is the first recipe to come to mind. This recipe is centuries old in written form and likely much older. It is versatile and many cuts of beef may be used from essentially any quarter. For my money, its hard to beat Wagyu brisket or chuck. This recipe is sure to put people around the table for a Sunday meal, all you need to do is leave your kitchen window open.
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Ingredients: 5 lbs Wagyu brisket or chuck roast cut into 2" to 3" cubes 1/2 lb uncured and unsmoked bacon cut into lardons (small strips) 16 oz pearl onions (peeled) 3 lbs carrots (peeled and cut into 1-2" pieces) 1 large onion (finely diced) 1 lb cremini mushrooms (quartered) 1 head of garlic (minced) large bunch of thyme 4 fresh bay leaves 1 stick of butter 4 tbs olive oil salt fresh ground pepper 2 tbs tomato paste 4 tbs all purpose flour 6 cups Red wine 4 cups beef stock |
Preparation is where methodology with this recipe often differs. Quite often the beef is marinated in red wine overnight which helps to tenderize the lean beef preferred in France. Since we have chosen Wagyu beef, tenderness is not an issue, so we are merely looking to impart extra flavor to the beef which can be done in much less time and can often be skipped all together. If you decide to marinate your Wagyu beef for several hours or overnight, just be sure to dry it well and season well with salt and fresh black pepper before searing. Also keep in mind we are building a base of fond on the bottom of the pan and do not want to burn it so err on the side of caution in heat selection. I use low heat.
Preheat oven to 350* F
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- Heat large 7 quart cast iron dutch oven on low - medium low heat
- add 4 tbs olive oil and bring to temperature - sweat bacon lardons until crisp 5-8 minutes; remove and set aside - sear seasoned Wagyu beef cubes on all sides in 3-4 batches; do not crown pan; set aside when complete A word of wisdom: once you place a piece down to sear, do not move it or check it for several minutes to ensure you build a nice crust and color. - sweat pearl onion in this bacon and Wagyu beef goodness 5-8 minutes with a small bunch of fresh thyme and salt and pepper; remove and set aside Now you should have a very nice fond built up on the bottom of the pan. It should be a deep brown color because we chose low heat from the start to ensure we didn't burn the fond. Now, we are going to strip away that beautiful and flavor filled fond with the natural moisture of the vegetables. |
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- add finely diced large onion; sweat for 2-3 minutes
- add carrots; sweat for additional 2-3 minutes
- add 3 cloves minced garlic, a large bunch of thyme, 4 bay leaves and a little salt and pepper; sweat for 2-3 minutes
At this point the finely diced onions and some gentle scrapping with a wooden spoon should have released the fond from the bottom of the pan which the onion will carry as the base of the sauce. They will break completely down in the braising process in the oven which is soon to come.
- add 2 tbs tomato paste; mix well, allow 2-3 minutes to caramelize
- return seared Wagyu beef and bacon lardons to the pan
- add 4 tbs flour, mix well, sweat for 2-3 minutes
- add 6 cups of red wine
Selection of red wine is a matter of opinion but whatever is available is always best. Most traditional recipes call for Burgundy but you could choose Medoc or Merlot for bolder flavors. I prefer to stay more subtle and use Pinot Noir. You will want to bring to a boil and cook off most of the alcohol.
- add 4 cups beef stock to just cover the top of the beef and veggies.
At this point, you can cover with a lid and place in a 350 degree oven, or cover and slow simmer on the stove top until the beef is fork tender. Since you chose Wagyu beef, this will take considerably less time to cook: one and a half to two and a half hours. I generally oven cook mine for two and a half hours.
Once the beef is tender, bring a separate cast iron skillet to medium low heat.
- add 1 stick of butter to skillet and brown butter until foam subsides
- add 3 cloves minced garlic and brown
- add quartered cremini mushrooms, a little salt and pepper and sweat 5-8 minutes; they will absorb most of the butter so you might have to add a little oil or more butter
- add 1 bunch of finely minced parsley and sweat for 2-3 minutes
-(optional) deglaze mushrooms and parsley with Sauvignon Blanc; reduce by 3/4 volume and set aside
We are almost finished. Add all the cooked pearl onion as well as the mushroom and parsley mixture to the pan of bourguignon and simmer on low heat on the stove top for the last 15 minutes.
This last step seem unnecessary to most but is the difference between one and three Michelin stars...
Strain sauce from dutch oven, first by removing contents with a slotted spoon to the large cast iron pan you cooked the mushrooms and parsley in fifteen minutes ago. Finally, use a fine mesh strainer to finish the straining job. Next, place the strained sauce in a saucier and reduce by half. For the ultimate velvet texture or to tighten up the sauce, add 2 tbs of butter with 2 tbs of flour and combine thoroughly: this is a beurre manié. Combine with sauce stirring until velvet and able to coat the back of a spoon.
Finally we are there. Portion out Wagyu beef and vegetable in a bowl and spoon over the reduced sauce. Serve with French bread broiled with garlic butter and parsley.
Itadakimasu!
- add carrots; sweat for additional 2-3 minutes
- add 3 cloves minced garlic, a large bunch of thyme, 4 bay leaves and a little salt and pepper; sweat for 2-3 minutes
At this point the finely diced onions and some gentle scrapping with a wooden spoon should have released the fond from the bottom of the pan which the onion will carry as the base of the sauce. They will break completely down in the braising process in the oven which is soon to come.
- add 2 tbs tomato paste; mix well, allow 2-3 minutes to caramelize
- return seared Wagyu beef and bacon lardons to the pan
- add 4 tbs flour, mix well, sweat for 2-3 minutes
- add 6 cups of red wine
Selection of red wine is a matter of opinion but whatever is available is always best. Most traditional recipes call for Burgundy but you could choose Medoc or Merlot for bolder flavors. I prefer to stay more subtle and use Pinot Noir. You will want to bring to a boil and cook off most of the alcohol.
- add 4 cups beef stock to just cover the top of the beef and veggies.
At this point, you can cover with a lid and place in a 350 degree oven, or cover and slow simmer on the stove top until the beef is fork tender. Since you chose Wagyu beef, this will take considerably less time to cook: one and a half to two and a half hours. I generally oven cook mine for two and a half hours.
Once the beef is tender, bring a separate cast iron skillet to medium low heat.
- add 1 stick of butter to skillet and brown butter until foam subsides
- add 3 cloves minced garlic and brown
- add quartered cremini mushrooms, a little salt and pepper and sweat 5-8 minutes; they will absorb most of the butter so you might have to add a little oil or more butter
- add 1 bunch of finely minced parsley and sweat for 2-3 minutes
-(optional) deglaze mushrooms and parsley with Sauvignon Blanc; reduce by 3/4 volume and set aside
We are almost finished. Add all the cooked pearl onion as well as the mushroom and parsley mixture to the pan of bourguignon and simmer on low heat on the stove top for the last 15 minutes.
This last step seem unnecessary to most but is the difference between one and three Michelin stars...
Strain sauce from dutch oven, first by removing contents with a slotted spoon to the large cast iron pan you cooked the mushrooms and parsley in fifteen minutes ago. Finally, use a fine mesh strainer to finish the straining job. Next, place the strained sauce in a saucier and reduce by half. For the ultimate velvet texture or to tighten up the sauce, add 2 tbs of butter with 2 tbs of flour and combine thoroughly: this is a beurre manié. Combine with sauce stirring until velvet and able to coat the back of a spoon.
Finally we are there. Portion out Wagyu beef and vegetable in a bowl and spoon over the reduced sauce. Serve with French bread broiled with garlic butter and parsley.
Itadakimasu!
