If you know anything about Julia Child, chances are you’ve heard of this recipe. Whether by way of the adorable girlie/foodie memoir Julie and Julia or simply a natural affinity for cooking à la français, this dish is a classic in its own right – and definitely one to try at home, if you haven’t already.

You’ll be surprised at how easy this dish is to pull off – especially if you start with Ina Garten’s version like I did. I compared it to Julia Child’s original recipe and found them to be basically similar, though Julia’s version does involve quite a few more steps. When I make the original, which I plan on doing soon, I’ll be sure to compare the details and the results. One of the differences I noticed was that after browning the meat, Julia puts it back into the pot with the cooked bacon and a bit of flour, in an effort to make the crust even thicker and more delicious – definitely looking forward to that!

Another difference between the two is the way in which the dish is served. While Julia says that boiled potatoes are traditionally served on the side, Ina keeps it simple with a crusty sliced bread. The bread gets my vote; it adds to the rustic/French-countryside vibe of the dish, and it’s perfect for sopping up all of the incredible broth. And trust me – you won’t want to waste a single drop. The wine and Cognac make magic in that pot, and a normally-tough cut of meat is transformed into something effortlessly tender and flavorful.

Just one more reason for me to obsess over anything-and-everything French.

Beef Bourguignon

Adapted from Ina Garten

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 bottle good red wine, preferably French {like a Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Pinot Noir}
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions {I forgot to buy these, and omitted – but I’m sure they would have been wonderful}
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms – stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sourdough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol {I’d never done this – so fun! Nothing to be afraid of – just put the match near the pot and it will flame up for a minute or so and then go out on its own}. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.