Ep 21. The French Chef: Steaks And Hamburgers

The French Chef with Julia Child season 1 episode 21, titled The French Chef: Steaks And Hamburgers, is a cooking show that features the legendary chef Julia Child teaching viewers how to make classic French cuisine. In this episode, Julia shifts her focus from the delicate art of French cooking to a heartier American style favorite - steaks and hamburgers.

As always, Julia begins the show by introducing the ingredients she'll be using and explaining the techniques she'll be employing to make her dishes. She emphasizes the importance of choosing quality cuts of meat, and takes time to explain the differences between beef cuts and how to properly prepare them. She also explains how hamburgers, though American in origin, can be made more French by using bread crumbs and garlic in the mix.

Julia begins with a classic dish - filet mignon with mushroom sauce. She starts by cooking the filet in a hot pan with butter and a great deal of heat, searing the outside until it's crispy while retaining a tender, juicy inside. She adds sliced mushrooms to the pan and lets them cook until they've released their moisture, then adds cream and a splash of cognac to make a rich, luxurious sauce.

Next, Julia moves on to a classic French steak dish - steak au poivre. As with the filet, she emphasizes the importance of starting with a quality cut, in this case a rib-eye steak. She cooks the steak in a similar fashion to the filet, again using a lot of heat to achieve a crusty exterior and a juicy interior. However, the twist here is the addition of cracked black pepper that is used to create a sharp, fiery crust on the outside of the steak. This dish is both a sensory and visual delight, with the smoke and spark of the pepper creating a show-stopping effect in the pan.

After demonstrating two classic steak dishes, Julia moves on to the humble hamburger. She explains that, despite its origins, the hamburger can be elevated to new gourmet heights with a few French twists. Julia shows viewers how to mix ground beef with onions, bread crumbs, and garlic to create a rich, flavorful patty. She also shares her tips for cooking the perfect patty, emphasizing the importance of cooking it on high heat and for just the right amount of time.

Finally, Julia finishes off the show with a wild-card dish - beef tournedos with béarnaise sauce. Tournedos are a classic French preparation that involve cutting a beef filet into rounds, searing them, and serving them with a flavorful sauce. Julia teaches viewers how to create a tangy béarnaise sauce using egg yolks, butter, vinegar, and tarragon. The dish is a study in balance, with the creamy, tangy sauce perfectly complementing the tender, flavorful beef.

The French Chef with Julia Child season 1 episode 21 is a classic episode that showcases the legendary chef's talent for making even the simplest dishes a gourmet affair. Viewers are sure to come away with new techniques and tips for their own cooking, as well as a new appreciation for the humble steak and hamburger.