cook in france explaining.
how about a french stew on christmas?

the video got too long because i wanted to explain so many things. Even after a whole bunch of trimmings, it's still making 17 minutes... that's why i entitled this video like a name of a university course

well, i believe there's someone who needs this kind of not-fun-but-informatic video.

Even though it looks complicated due to long explanation, it is actually simple except that it takes long time.

::trimmed bits of explanations ::

1. wine
no, you don't have to use real burgundy pinot noir wine. Even in the literature of A. Escoffier, burgundy wine is never mentionned, but just "good wine."
likewise, just pick a good dry red wine, not too expensive, available near your location. Avoid using a cheap plastic-bag-packed wine. It's still a wine stew, which means good wine counts.

2. cut of meat
the cut i used in the video is beef shoulder, which is tender enough even for steaks and also a great cut for stews.
usually, i take 'jarret' which is a rear feet but i just bought a more expensive cut for the video.
the point is, that, if your boeuf bourguignon comes out a bit dry, it doesn't necessarily means that you did not do good on cooking. there are some cuts that are still dry even after low-slow cooking.

3. you can use the stew pot to brown the meat inside.
it makes less dish-washing, but it may cause more oil projection since the vapor cannot come out easily from the pot.

:: ingredients ::
starring :
meat 1kg
onions, 1/2 to 1
carrots, 1 to 2
celery 1/2 to 1 stalk
garlic 3 cloves
bouquet garni (thym 3 branches, bay leaf 1, parsely stalk, lemongrass(optional))
rice vinegar 3 spoons + water (deglazing)

thanks to (garnish)
white mushrooms
pearl onions (can be replaced by any onions)
lardons ( cured pork, can be replaced by pork or bacon)
butter

audience (table)
parsley-garlic bread (or just bread. it's nicer to dip inside the broth)
good red wine

optional ingredients from above
celery, parsley, white stock (veal, beef, or chicken), bread

good to have but not critical :
thym and bay leaves
stock some in your pantry if you haven't got it yet, it keeps it self quite well