Texas Simplicity

It's been 8 months since I moved from the city.  In the first few months I missed the conveniences of the city and the food....oh how I missed the food.  I think I missed being able to drive 5 minutes for Dairy Queen or 30 minutes into Dallas and have world class dining and here, it's 30 minutes to DQ and 2 hours to fine dining.  I knew if I wanted fancy food I better get busy cooking it because all I was getting out here was burgers, chicken fried steak, BBQ and hot links.  Now, all those things are delicious - if prepared properly - which, often, they were not.  It was easier for me to make my own everything than drive 15 miles to get it and it not be the way I liked it then fork over good money for a less than great meal, so I did. 

I made Chicken Fried Steak...

 

 

I made Pear Tatin with Caramel Sauce...

 

 

 

I even made Beef Bourguignon and homemade Hawaiian rolls...that was so good...

 

 

 

And some Pasta Carbonara...

 

 

 

I learned that I didn't need to drive 15 miles and spend $30 to get the foods I craved, I could make them at home and save my gas and cash for other things.  As time went on I didn't crave those things as much and I was happy to just have simple food and that's where I am now. Just satisfied with the delicious simplicity of an egg or a bowl of soup.  I have acclimated at last.  I think my favorite thing I made when I first settled in here was the Beef Bourguinon.  It was simplicity at its best and made me feel anchored to my new present. I bought ingredients from my tiny neighborhood grocery store and the wine was from a local vineyard.  I was supporting my community and giving myself the gift of extravagant, fancy food for a pittance of what I would have paid at a restaurant.  I have Julia Childs' famous recipe but, wow, it takes forever to make so I trimmed the steps back and made my own version.  I like it just as much and hope you will too.

 

Texas Beef Bourguinon





4 slices bacon
1 T additional bacon fat or olive oil
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fresh thyme or 1/2 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 lbs lean beef roast or steaks, cubed
2 T flour
1 bottle nice, red wine (I used a local wine from Los Pinos)
3 cups beef stock, low sodium if possible
1 T tomato paste
1 pkg frozen pearl onions, cooked in butter till slightly softened
1 lb mushrooms , sliced, cook with the pearl onions till soft
1/2 C frozen english peas


Preheat oven to 325.  In a dutch oven, cook bacon, remove and set aside. Add fat or olive oil to the fat from the bacon you just fried and add next 7 ingredients.  Cook on medium high until the onion and carrots just start to caramelize.  Add the cubed beef and cook till browned. Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed mixture and cook for 2 minutes.  Pour the wine and stock over the beef and vegetable mixture and stir in the tomato paste till dissolved.  Bring to boil, remove from heat to preheated oven and cook at 325 for 1 hour.  Heat up the onions and mushrooms right before the hour is up and when ready, remove the pot from the oven and stir in the onions and mushrooms. Return to oven and cook another 2 hours,  Remove from oven and stir in peas.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.  Taste and adjust salt if needed.