Keto Beef Stew (Beef Bourguignon a la Julia Child)

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Keto Beef Stew (Beef Bourguignon a la Julia Child)

INGREDIENTS

Step 1

200 g (7 oz) pork belly or unflavored bacon – cut into 1/4 inch thick and 1 inch long pieces

48 g (3 tbsp) olive oil

1360 g (3 lbs) of beef chuck shoulder roast – cut into 2 inch cubes

75 g (2.6 oz) carrots cut into medallions

50 g (1.8 oz) onion – sliced

6 g (1 tsp) salt

0.5 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper

227g (1 cup) red wine – fully boiled

608 g (2.5 cups) beef stock or commercially prepared beef broth

16 g (1 tbsp) tomato paste

14 g (2 cloves) garlic – grated

0.5 g (1/2 tsp) thyme powder

0.5 g (1 large) bay leaf – crumbled

Step 2

95 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter

225 g (8 oz) mushrooms – white button

85 g (25) small pickled or raw pearl onions (these add flavor but also add a lot of carbs) OPTIONAL

Step 3

12 g (1 tbsp) glucomannan

250 g (1 cup) cold water

Fresh Italian parsley sprigs for decorating each bowl just before serving OPTIONAL

DIRECTIONS

1. Please follow instructions as described below for an authentic version
Step 1 Stove top
2. Preheat oven to 160 C or 325 F
3. In a large deep skillet or French oven, sauté the pork belly or unflavored natural bacon over moderate heat for about 3-5 minutes or until light brown. Scoop out and set aside
4. In a small deep pot pour in the wine and heat to light rolling boil for about 5-8 minutes
5. Cut the beef into 5 cm or 2 inch cubes and dry the cubes with a paper towel
6. Heat the bacon fat to almost smoky (very hot and sizzling) and sauté a few beef cubes at a time until browned on all sides. Scoop out the cubes as each batch is browned and set aside. Repeat until all the cubes have been browned.
7. In the same skillet, using the remaining fat, brown the carrots and onions for 2 minutes
8. Return the beef and pork belly or bacon into skillet and immediately season with the salt and pepper. Toss
9. Add the boiled wine and beef stock so that the meat is just covered with the liquids
10. Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and crumbled bay leaf and stir until all ingredients are incorporated
11. Bring to a light boil on the stove top
Step 2 Oven
12. Cover the deep sided skillet or French oven and place at the lower third of your oven so that it will continue to simmer for about two to three hours. If simmering too vigorously or liquid is evaporating too fast lower the oven temperature
13. The beef is done when you can pierce it easily with a fork. Remove from oven
Step 3 Stove top again
14. In the meanwhile, in a small frying pan, add the butter and when melted add the 25 pearl onions and the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are done. Set aside until needed
15. When the meat is done, remove from oven and strain through a sieve to separate the solids from the sauce
16. Put the meat and vegetables into the casserole pot or serving tureen and add the mushrooms and onions. Let meat cool before covering with a lid
17. After straining, you should have about 3 cups of sauce. Put sauce into a deep pot. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed
18. Before adding the glucomannan, dilute 1 tbsp of glucomannan in 1 cup of cold water. Stir very well to dissolve completely before pouring into the sauce. Stir as you pour
19. Cook over low heat until you get a gravy that coats a spoon lightly. This may take about 5 minutes. NOTE: If the sauce gets too thick, either your heat is too high or you cooked it too long. Add a bit more water to dilute and simmer on low for 1 minute
20. Remove gravy from heat, pour over the meat and vegetables and stir the ingredients together
21. Serve either hot or cold in a casserole or arranged on individual plates. Garnish with the fresh Italian parsley

MACRONUTRIENTS CHART

FYI

In making this recipe I used the Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking book. I have learned a lot from this book over the years and love the added advice about meat cuts, preparation techniques and what beverage or side to serve with the meal you have prepared. In my opinion Julia Child was an amazing teacher and great chef. Here is a link to her classic

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

. Also, I would like to point out a few important differences which explain how this was adapted to be grain free and keto: First, in the original Julia Child version you add flour to the meat after browning, we do not do this. For more information on the food chemistry behind browning of meats, please see https://www.ketomealsandrecipes.com/2017/05/30/food-chemistry-beef-stew/ Second, we reduced the amounts of high carb vegetables such as onion and carrots, but left enough to ensure the taste was authentic. Third, the pearl onions are optional and added at the end. Because I cannot eat them due to the increased carbohydrates they add, I simply do not scoop any onto my plate. Alternatively, if you prefer, just leave the pearl onions out of the recipe altogether. They do taste nice but this recipe is so amazing that it will not affect the taste of the stew, especially since they are added at the end anyway. Fourth, I use and recommend glucomannan as a thickener, which is added at the end not at the beginning of the cooking process. I prefer glucomannan to xanthan gum because glucomannan does not have any flavor, and so does not affect the taste, and leaves the meat sauce clear and not cloudy. But you can substitute glucomannan with xanthan gum, since this is a personal preference and choice. My last two cents: I know this seems like an overwhelming ordeal for a beef stew, but it is well worth it. The taste is much richer and more complex, and is a real crowd-pleaser. And, if you are making it just for yourself, you are worth the extra bit of effort! If you are making it for one or two people, let the unused stew cool to room temperature and then place one meal servings (1 or 2 person portions) into individual freezer storage containers and freeze. Do not forget to label and date the containers. I always prefer to thaw both meat and prepared frozen meals in the fridge overnight, which in my opinion preserves the texture of the meat. When you are ready to serve, place in a deep pot and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. If the sauce has become too thick, simply add water a bit at a time until it is the right consistency.

Judy M

December 27, 2021 @ 12:20 pm

Thank you so much. Great job. Can’t wait to try it.

Except we don’t eat pork. Can I leave the pork out?

Angela Wilkes

December 28, 2021 @ 10:04 am

Hi Judy,
Yes, you can leave the pork out. It will still be delicious without.
Enjoy!