This is a family favorite recipe, from Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon in her book Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and put them into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or covered casserole pan. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. Sauté onions in a single layer in a tablespoon or two of butter until lightly browned. Add chicken stock or water half way up the sides of the onions. Add a teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes or until tender. The onions should absorb most of the water. If there is water remaining after cooking, drain the excess. Set aside. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then remove any visible fat and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce for several minutes until hot throughout. Serve with rice, bread, or potatoes (unless you are doing the low-carb version!). Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking posted on the Knopf Doubleday website
