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Originally Posted by Turbo_pro
Tell me how my critique of Chef Keller's BB is any different with the recipe you posted.
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OK, let's look at your critique.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbo_pro
The true test of a great chef is creating great favors with minimal ingredients.
For Thomas Keller's Beef Bourguignon, he cleaned his ingredients in the sink and threw it in his stew for good measure.
I would first eliminate the ingredients that muddle other favors.
Next, deep flying a decent piece of beef is sacrilege.
Also not a fan of short ribs. Even though it is supposed to put forth the concept of a French country stew, the bones add little other than some marrow flavoring.
I might also substitute green peppercorns for black.
As for the need for leaks and pearl onions?
I would also go with the more traditional Burgundy. Most Cabs would infuse excessive tannins, and a dryness that often offend some palates.
Should I go on?
Why put the potatoes in the stew? I always serve my French country stew [BB] on a pile of garlic mash potatoes. Makes left overs less starchy.
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First off, when you say "he cleaned his ingredients in the sink and threw it in his stew for good measure" I don't have any idea what you even mean.
Then you say "I would first eliminate the ingredients that muddle other favors." What would those be, exactly? He uses fairly traditional ingredients, just does a higher quality preparation of them.
Next, you ***** about deep frying the meat. He doesn't deep fry it, he sautes it to brown it first.
Then you ***** about his choice of boneless short ribs. There are NO bones, why do you ***** about the bones? Did you even read the recipe? Short rib meat is great. Great texture when properly cooked, great beefy flavor.
I wouldn't use green peppercorns. Different flavor profile and they are hard to find fresh, so you usually have to buy them in brine. I use them in SE Asian cooking, wouldn't use them here. My preference.
Leeks (2 e's) are common in french stocks. The French use tons of them. Pearl onions are a traditional ingredient in this dish in France. So, he uses them. So do I.
Nothing wrong with using a Burgundy wine. Pinot Noir. Fine, go for it. I used to use a red Bordeaux, since that's what I kept on hand at the house. Worked fine. When you do the reduction, the end product doesn't much resemble what you started with so the tannins were never an issue. One thing I like about his technique is that he doesn't marinate the beef in the wine for a day, as is traditional. The beef tastes like beef, not wine.
Potatoes are a common ingredient in this recipe in France. He doesn't have a problem with "making the leftovers starchy' as his method combines the stew and vegetables at the end. I do the same thing, I never noticed any problem with the leftovers. Serve it over mashed potatoes, if you want. Rednecks might serve it over rice or noodles, have at it.
In the end, it's a more refined version of the traditional French recipe and one that I like much better. My version is slightly more elaborate than his but I give him all the credit for opening my eyes up to a new way of preparing it. Everybody that I have served it to loved it.