Description
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew featuring tender chuck beef slow-cooked with bacon, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, and a rich red wine sauce. This hearty, flavorful dish is perfect for a comforting meal and benefits greatly from slow cooking and resting, allowing flavors to deeply develop.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Vegetables
- 800g (1.6 lb) chuck beef, cut into 4-5 cm (2”) cubes
- 2 large carrots (~300g/10oz), cut on an angle into 4-5 cm (2”) pieces
- 16 pearl onions or small, round pickling onions
- 200g (7oz) mushrooms, halved (quartered if large)
- 150g (5oz) bacon piece, cut into 1cm (1/2”) thick batons
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 bay leaf, fresh (or dried as substitute)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt (for sauce)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish
Liquids & Others
- 750ml (25 oz) pinot noir or other red wine
- 3 tbsp oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 50g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef stock (low sodium)
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients: Cut beef into 4-5 cm cubes. Slice carrots on an angle into 4-5 cm pieces. Peel pearl onions if needed and halve or quarter mushrooms based on size. Cut bacon into 1cm thick batons. Mince garlic cloves.
- Sear the beef: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef cubes in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, until nicely seared on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.
- Cook bacon and aromatics: In the same pan, add bacon batons and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside with beef. Add pearl onions and carrots to the pan and sauté until lightly browned, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Make the sauce base: Stir in tomato paste and cook briefly. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat and cook for a couple of minutes to remove raw flour taste. Gradually add the red wine, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Stir in beef stock, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
- Combine and simmer: Return beef and bacon to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until beef is tender. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Sauté mushrooms: In a separate pan, melt butter and sauté mushrooms until golden and cooked through. Add mushrooms to the stew in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Finish and garnish: Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the stew before serving.
Notes
- This recipe is often regarded as the mother of all stews and comes from classic French cuisine.
- For best flavor, prepare the stew 2 days ahead to let it rest and allow flavors to meld deeply.
- Do not shortcut the pan roasting of ingredients individually as it builds rich flavor layers.
- Using homemade beef stock enhances the stew’s richness and depth.
- Pinot noir or similar red wines provide the perfect balance of acidity and fruitiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 745 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1822 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Cholesterol: 165 mg
