Description
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew featuring tender chuck beef cubes slow-cooked with bacon, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions in a rich red wine sauce infused with herbs. This hearty dish involves pan-roasting each ingredient to build deep flavors before slow simmering, resulting in a magnificent and comforting meal perfect for special occasions or cozy family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 800g (1.6 lb) chuck beef, cut into 4-5 cm (2”) cubes
- 150g (5 oz) bacon piece, cut into 1cm (1/2”) thick batons
Vegetables
- 2 large carrots (~300g/10 oz), cut on an angle into 4-5 cm (2”) pieces
- 16 pearl onions or small, round pickling onions
- 200g (7 oz) mushrooms, halved (quartered if large)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Liquids and Fats
- 750 ml (25 oz) pinot noir or other red wine
- 3 tbsp oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 50g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 3 cups low sodium beef stock
Seasonings and Others
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt (additional for stew)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf (fresh, substitute with dried if unavailable)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cut the chuck beef into 4-5 cm cubes, carrots on an angle into similar size pieces, slice mushrooms if large, and peel the pearl onions. Mince garlic and cut bacon into 1 cm thick batons.
- Pan-Roast Beef: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan, and brown on all sides for deep flavor. Remove beef and set aside.
- Cook Bacon: Add the bacon batons to the same pan and cook until crisp and browned. Remove and set aside with the beef.
- Roast Vegetables: Add carrots and pearl onions to the pan, sautéing until they begin to caramelize. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté Mushrooms and Garlic: Add butter and remaining oil to the pan; sauté mushrooms until browned and softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Tomato Paste and Flour: Stir in the tomato paste followed by the flour. Cook the mixture for a couple of minutes to remove raw flour taste, stirring constantly to create a roux that will thicken the stew.
- Deglaze with Wine: Gradually pour in the red wine while stirring to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Return Ingredients to Pan: Add the browned beef, bacon, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs back into the pan.
- Add Beef Stock and Simmer: Pour in the low sodium beef stock, add the additional 1/4 tsp salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 2-2.5 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened.
- Finish and Serve: Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with chopped parsley just before serving. Serve hot with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles.
Notes
- Considered the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon showcases complex flavors from slow-cooking and pan-roasting each ingredient separately.
- For best results, start preparing this stew 2 days before serving to allow flavors to meld.
- Use homemade beef stock if possible for richer taste.
- Do not shortcut by skipping pan-roasting as it builds essential depth and caramelization.
- If pearl onions are unavailable, small shallots can be used as a substitute.
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
