Beef Bretonne Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH BORDELAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, place the red wine, shallots, thyme, and bay leaf and set over medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and continue to cook to reduce the contents to half of the original volume.
• Add the beef stock to the pan and bring the mixture up to a boil again.
• Using a tablespoon, skim and discard any foam that appears on top of the sauce.
• Continue cooking the Bordelaise by another 50% or until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon-otherwise known as having a nappe consistency. In total, the Bordelaise should have reduced by 75% of its original volume by now.
• Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Use on grilled steak or slow-roasted beef and enjoy.

BEEF BRETONNE

Steps:

• Trim off all fat from meat and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Melt butter in deep skillet.
• Crush garlic and add to melted butter.
• Brown meat on all sides in garlic butter.
• Add thinly sliced onions to meat and cook until onions are soft but not brown.
• Remove meat and onions and blend flour with remaining juices.
• Add remaining ingredients to flour and juices, blending until sauce is slightly thickened.
• Return meat and onions to skillet, cover and bring just to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer for 1.5 hours or until meat is tender.
• Serve over cooked broad egg noodles.

CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Gather the marjoram, parsley, bay leaf and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle with kitchen string (alternatively, tie the herbs together with a leek leaf).
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, garlic and onions and cook until the garlic is soft and the onions translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the pot.
• Increase the heat under the pot to medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• Sprinkle the beef with 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef to the pot and sear until browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium and return the bacon, onions and garlic to the pot.
• Add the apple cider vinegar and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until reduced. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and let melt. Add the flour and cook until everything is coated and there is a nutty aroma.
• Add the beer, mustard and sirop de Liege; stir to combine. Add the bouquet garni. Bring the carbonnade to a simmer and cook until tender, 45 minutes.
• Remove the carbonnade from the heat and let rest for 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni, reheat and serve.

GATEAU BRETON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• Mix 1 teaspoon egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Set aside for glazing the cake.
• Combine remaining egg yolks, flour, butter, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until dough is stiff and sticky, similar to cookie dough. Knead dough a little bit to bring it together.
• Press dough into the prepared pan with your hands. Brush glaze on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes. Slice cake crosswise.