What is Beef Bourguignon? A traditional French dish of slow cooked beef, considered by many to be the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon is a French dish made with beef, bacon, carrots, onions and mushrooms slow cooked in a rich red wine sauce.
Easy Beef Bourguignon
This Beef Bourguignon is hands-down better than any I’ve made in my life – including Julia Child’s recipe.
Beef Bourguignon is a world wide loved classic for a reason. This is one recipe where you want to take your time cooking it, drinking a glass of wine or two while preparing it, and show it a lot of love. Every step is worth it.
Even though it’s been remade all over the world countless times by families over the decades, it’s an extremely forgiving recipe. We cut out a few steps to make it a little easier.
You don’t need to be an experienced cook to try this in your kitchen at home.
How to make Beef Bourguignon
As with all beef stews, this one is best made a day or two ahead; don’t sauté the mushrooms and onions until just before serving. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master.
What meat is best for Beef Bourguignon?
We tried this with a few cuts of beef: brisket, chuck steak and stewing beef (yes, the third time I made it was in our Instant Pot/Multi Cooker). Brisket yielded our favourite result.
The meat fell apart so beautifully and tasted better than the others with a juicy outcome. Having said the though, you can use whichever beef you can find or have on hand.
Which red wine is best for beef bourguignon?
Use a good wine here, something simple but drinkable. Beef Bourguignon is also known as Beef Burgundy, a classic bourguignon has the presence of red wine in the recipe and thus the wine called for is a Pinot Noir – the most famous wine produced in the Burgundy region of France.
Using a lighter style wine might sound unexpected for a hearty stew, but the more delicate flavour compared to other wines.
Most good beef stews do have red wine in them. This really brings out the deep and rich flavor in the sauce. But rest assured the alcohol does get cooked out
If you are not wanting wine in your Beef Bourguignon you are welcome to omit it and use beef stock in replace of it. I would recommend keeping the red wine and enjoy the rich flavors!
Tips to an delicious beef bourguignon
It’s well worth taking the time to brown each of the ingredients individually. The browning adds a depth of flavour you just can’t achieve by dumping everything in at the same time!
Leave beef bourguignon overnight before serving. As with all stews, Beef Bourguignon if you can leave it overnight which lets the flavours develop further and meld together even better.
Don’t get me wrong, but it’s even better the next day!
What do you serve with Beef Bourguignon?
Mashed Potatoes! You can also serve it with plain rice or noodles, or bread.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preparing it is easy, even though the ingredients list may look daunting and long. You already know from our other recipes Pork blanquette or your favourite, that a long list of ingredients means incredibly delicious results!
It’s well worth taking the time to brown each of the ingredients individually before slow cooking in the braising liquid. The browning adds a depth of flavour you just can’t achieve by dumping everything in at the same time!
Bacon – Cook the bacon to release all that tasty bacon fat which we then use to brown the subsequent ingredients.
Add 2 tablespoon oil and sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned, then remove and set aside.
Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all side. Once browned, remove into a bowl;.
Be sure to use enough oil so the beef browns rather than burns. Work in batches and don’t crowd the pot otherwise the beef will just braise instead of brown.
In the remaining oil/bacon fat, add 2 tbsp. (40 gr.) of butter. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, once browned remove into a bowl, then add carrots and diced onions and cook until softened, (5-6 minutes). Return the mushrooms and bacon into the pot, add 1 tablespoon of tomato pasta and 6 cloves minced garlic and cook for 3 minute.
Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add wine 2 cups and water 3 cups, return beef to pan, add thyme, salt, black pepper, bay leafs.
Stir well, cover the lid and simmer for 90 minutes.
Beef Bourguignon is Ready! Bon Appetit!
Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon
French dish of slow cooked beef, considered by many to be the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon is a French dish made with beef, bacon, carrots, onions and mushrooms slow cooked in a rich red wine sauce.
4
servings15
minutes1
hour30
minutesIngredients
2 lb (800 g) Beef brisket
7 oz (200g) Bacon
1 lb. (400 g)Mushrooms
2 tbsp. Butter
2 Onions
2 Carrots
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
6 Garlic cloves
2 tbsp. Flour
2 cups (400g) Red wine
3 cups (600g) Water
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Thyme
0.5 tsp. Black pepper
3 Bay leafs
Directions
- Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all side. Once browned, remove into a bowl,
- In the remaining oil/bacon fat, add 2 tbsp. of butter. Add mushrooms to the pot and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, once browned, remove into a bowl
- Add carrots and diced onions and cook until softened, (5-6 minutes).
- Return the mushrooms and bacon into the pot, add 1 tablespoon of tomato pasta and 6 cloves minced garlic and cook for 3 minute.
- Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add wine 2 cups and water 3 cups.
- Return beef to pan, add thyme, salt, black pepper, bay leafs. Stir well, cover the lid and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Beef Bourguignon is Ready!
Recipe Video
Storing Beef Bourguignon
Can you freeze Beef Bourguignon?
Yes, you can, freeze it in freezer bags or a sealing bag that locks in all the flavors. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or you can defrost in the microwave if needed on low heat to warm through, stirring occasionally.
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