After being away from the blistery northeast for 2 weeks, I was inspired this weekend to cook a hearty beef stew. My recipe was a blend of recipes from some of my favorite chefs including Daniel Boulud (Cafe Boulud Cookbook
), Tyler Florence (Tyler’s Ultimate
), and Irma Rombauer (Joy of Cooking
).
Beef Stew
start with 3 pounds of cubed top sirloin
brown meat in a large dutch oven
remove meat and add diced aromatics (leek, onions, carrots)
sautee aromatics in the beef fat
add back the meat along with beef stalk and 1.5 bottles of reduced red wine
braze for 2 hours, then add blanched carrots and peas and sauteed pearl onions
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
toss potatoes in olive oil and fresh rosemary
sprinkle salt and pepper
bake until skin is browned and crispy
Don’t judge a book by its cover – even though this stew doesn’t look very refined (is stew ever really refined?) it was rich and tasty and we all enjoyed it.
We paired the beef stew with a 2007 Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon. We decanted the wine for over 2 hours to help aerate it. This Cab was fruit forward and not overly tannic – just enough tannins to hold up to the stew.
(299 Bowery between Houston and 1st)
This was our 3rd visit to DBDG and this time we were with a large group of friends – I think 10 in all, some visiting for the weekend. While DBGB was accommodating to our large group (we had to change the number of people a few times), we wound up being kind of crammed into a table in the middle of the restaurant – I was definitely missing the booths around the perimeter where we sat during our first visit.
While everyone really enjoyed the appetizers – sausages, oysters, and salads – I’m disappointed to say that no one was blown away by their main dishes.
Next time we would definitely just make a meal out of appetizers and sausages.
I should also definitely mention that the beer selection is really good.
Iceberg & Blue – tomato, walnuts, bacon bits & herbs
~we got this salad last time and it was just as good this time around~
Iceberg & Blue
Thai Sausage – green papaya, basil fried rice, chili sauce, quail egg
~the sausages at DBGB are really good. my favorite is actually the Vermont which we also ordered along with a few others.~
Thai Sausage
Lamb Duo – roasted leg, braised shoulder, swiss chard, white beans, garlic confit
~our friend said this lamb dish was ok, good, but just ok~
Lamb Duo
Fried Egg Bourguignon – duck confit & cracklins, portobello, red wine & spicy greens
~I actually ordered this starter as my main dish and it was amazing! The flavors were incredibly rich. It’s hard to see, but under the greens are more mushrooms and chunks of duck confit which was SO good.~
Fried Egg Bourguignon
Steak Frites – 10 oz. black angus ribeye, peppered butter, french fries & lollo rossa
~Jeff ordered the Steak Frites and was pretty disappointed. The fries weren’t bad, but the ribeye was very fatty and tough to cut apart where there was a lot of fat.~
Steak Frites
STEAK FRITES 29.
10 oz. black angus ribeye, peppered butter
french fries & lollo rossa
(1900 Broadway, between 63rd and 64th)
We’ve been to Bar Boulud a few times for dinner, but this was our first time for brunch.
Gauffre Belge – Belgian waffle, whipped cream, fruit compote
(not pictured)
~We ordered a small plate of these waffles to start and they were absolutely delicious (and we were so hungry that I totally forgot to take a picture). The whipped cream was amazing, not too sweet, the best I’ve ever had really. We think the pastry chef may have added a tiny hint of liqueur, though we weren’t exactly sure which kind.~
Croque Madame – warm housemade ham, gruyère cheese and béchamel
~This croque madame was delicious. Crispy and cheesey with a perfectly cooked egg on top.~
Oeufs Florentine – poached eggs with ham, spinach, hollandaise sauce, whole wheat toast
~We really liked the whole wheat toast, a nice alternative to an English muffin. And while all the other components were good as well, the spinach was a bit overly buttered and salty in spots.~
Croque Madame
Oeufs Florentine
1900 Broadway (between 63rd and 64th)
Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s casual bistro and one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. We’ve been there a few times are are never disappointed.
Last Thursday, Jeff started with a Duvel and I ordered a glass of Domain Jean-Louis Chave Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Sybele (2007). This wine was surprisingly good – the mouth feel was full and pleasant followed by a long finish.
JL Chave Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Sybele
I did not take a picture, but along with the bread and butter, we are always served these mini cheddar popover things – they delicious and I try not to fill up too much before the rest of our food is served.
frisée lyonnaise – chicory, chicken liver, poached egg, lardons, sourdough croutons
~i love any salad with a poached egg on top. this salad had very rich flavors probably due to the chicken livers which i did not try, but Jeff said were good but tasted a bit minerally.~
cauliflower gratin
~bubbly cauliflower and cheese – yum!~
truite amande – local catskills trout, toasted almonds, roasted cauliflower, brown butter, verjus
~a very traditional french preparation, this fish was perfectly cooked with light flavors~
coq au vin – braised chicken with hand rolled pasta, lardons, onions, mushrooms
~this coq au vin was delicious. the chicken was very tender and the flavors were appropriately rich.~
cauliflower gratin
truite amande
coq au vin
299 Bowery (between Houston and 1st st)
We liked DBGB so much the first time that we decided to go back.
Iceberg & Blue at DBGB
Iceberg & Blue – tomato, walnuts, bacon bits & herbs
This was a nice alternative to the iceberg wedge – it was actually a thick slice of iceberg covered in a sour cream-like dressing with bits of blue cheese, tomato, walnut, bacon, and herbs on top.
Vermont (left) and Thai (right) Sausage
Vermont – smoked pork & cheddar link, hash browns, red onion crème frache
While we wanted to try all new dished this time at DBGB, this was the one thing we HAD to order again… the Vermont did not disappoint.
Thai – green papaya, basil fried rice, chili sauce, quail egg
This was recommended by our server as one of his favorites – it was definitely good, with a strong lemongrass note. Our favorite is still the Vermont.
House-made Tagliolini Pasta at DBGB
House-made Tagliolini Pasta – wild mushroom ragout, spinach pistou, poached egg yolk & parmigiano
The pasta was cooked perfectly and the mushrooms were delicious.
Last Sunday the fall weather inspired Jeff to roll up his sleeves for a full day of braising short ribs.
Jeff's Braised Short Ribs, Celery Duo, & Sauteed Mushrooms
We went up to Fairway on 125th to shop for all the ingredients – the cold room definitely had plenty of meat for us to chose from.
Jeff spent the next 5-6 hours in our small NY kitchen prepping, boiling, browning, reducing, braising, blending, and sauteing (I probably left something out).
Tons of hard work that definitely paid off – Jeff’s short ribs rivaled any I’ve had in a fancy restaurant.
From Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud Cookbook:
Shorts Ribs Braised in Red Wine
“Ribs [with] a traditional base of aromatics – garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, and leeks – toss in fresh herbs, and braise them slowly in a mixture of stock and red wine.”
Celery Duo
“A double dish of braised quarters of stalk celery and pureed celery root and potato.”
From Jeff’s Kitchen:
Sauteed Mushrooms
Jeff’s own recipe that he has fine-tuned over the years.
Cold Room at Fairway Market in Harlem
Red Wine Sauce (from braise) and Celery Duo
Braised Short Ribs
Jeff's Sauteed Mushrooms