Description
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew featuring tender chunks of chuck beef, bacon lardons, carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms slow-cooked in a rich red wine sauce. This hearty, comforting dish is perfect for a special meal and benefits from slow cooking to develop deep, complex flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Vegetables
- 800g (1.6 lb) chuck beef, cut in 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 or quartered if large
- 150g (5oz) bacon piece, cut into 1cm (1/2”) thick batons
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Liquids & Dairy
- 750ml (25 oz) pinot noir or other red wine
- 3 cups beef stock (low sodium)
- 50g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 bay leaf, fresh (substitute dried if unavailable)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt (for sauce)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish
Other Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cut the chuck beef into 4-5 cm cubes. Slice carrots on an angle into 2-inch pieces. Peel pearl onions and halve or quarter mushrooms as needed.
- Brown the Bacon: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the bacon batons and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat to render in the pot.
- Sear the Beef: Increase heat to medium-high, add remaining oil if needed, then brown the beef cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding. Sear all sides until nicely caramelized. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pot, add butter and then sauté the carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms until they start to soften and take on color, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add Aromatics and Flour: Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir continuously for a couple of minutes to incorporate and lightly toast the flour.
- Deglaze and Combine: Slowly pour in the red wine while stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add the beef stock, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and return the beef and bacon to the pot. Season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook on low heat for about 2.5 hours (150 minutes), or until the beef is tender and sauce has thickened.
- Final Seasoning and Garnish: Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, start the recipe 2 days ahead to allow flavors to develop fully.
- Do not shortcut by skipping the searing step for beef and vegetables; this adds depth of flavor.
- Using homemade beef stock significantly enhances the stew’s richness.
- Consider serving with crusty bread, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce.
- You can substitute pearl onions with small pickling onions if needed.
- Pinot noir is traditional, but any dry red wine will work well.
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
