Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Recipe video above. Considered by many to be the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon is a French dish made with beef, bacon lardons, carrots, onions and mushrooms slow-cooked in a rich red wine sauce. For the most magnificent stew of your life, start this 2 days before you plan to serve it, do not shortcut pan roasting ingredients individually, and use homemade beef stock if you can!
Ingredients
- 800g/ 1.6 lb chuck beef, cut in 4-5 cm / 2” cubes (Note 1)
- 2 large carrots (~300g/10oz), cut on an angle into 4-5 cm / 2” pieces
- 16 pearl onions or small, round pickling onions (Note 2)
- 1 bay leaf, fresh (sub: dried)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 750ml/ 25 oz pinot noir or other red wine (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp oil, olive, canola or vegetable
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 200g/ 7oz mushrooms, halved (quarters if large)
- 150g/ 5oz bacon piece, cut into 1cm / 1/2” thick batons (Note 4)
- 50g/3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp flour, plain/all purpose
- 3 cups beef stock (low sodium), preferably homemade; otherwise the best you can afford (Note 5)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- 1
Marinate beef:
- 2
Marinate beef: Place the Beef Marinade ingredients in a large, non-reactive ceramic dish or ziplock bag. Marinate overnight in the fridge (minimum 12 hours, maximum 24 hours).
- 3
Strain liquid into a bowl, reserve marinade. Separate the beef, carrots and onion.
- 4
Reduce wine: Pour red wine into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer vigorously, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until reduced by half. Set aside.
- 5
Brown beef and vegetables:
- 6
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).
- 7
Dry beef: Line a tray with paper towels, spread beef out, then pat dry with paper towels.
- 8
Season beef: Sprinkle beef with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- 9
Brown beef: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based, oven-proof pot over high heat. Add 1/3 beef and brown aggressively all over. Remove into bowl, then repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
- 10
Fry bacon: Add bacon and cook for 3 minutes until golden. Add to bowl with beef.
- 11
Sauté mushrooms: Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove into a new bowl.
- 12
Sauté onion: Add a bit of extra oil if needed, then cook onions for 5 minutes or until there are nice golden patches. Add to bowl with mushrooms.
- 13
Sauté carrot: Add butter into pot. Once melted, add carrot and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until there are golden patches. Add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
- 14
Tomato paste: Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- 15
Flour: Add flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- 16
Add wine and stock: While stirring, slowly pour in beef stock – this helps the flour dissolve lump-free into the stock. Then add wine and mix until flour mixture is dissolved and mostly lump-free (Note 6).
- 17
Add beef into pot: Add beef, bacon, thyme, bay leaf, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper into the pot, then stir well.
- 18
Slow-cook:
- 19
Oven 1 hour: Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven for 1 hour. (Note 7)
- 20
Mushrooms and onion: Remove from oven, stir in mushrooms and onion.
- 21
Oven 1½ hours: Cover with lid and return to oven for 1½ hours, or until beef is "fall-apart tender".
- 22
Adjust salt: Remove from oven, taste sauce and add salt if needed. (Note 8 – important!)
- 23
Leave overnight (recommended): If time permits, leave the stew overnight before serving because as with all stews, it gets better with time! Reheat gently on a low stove.
- 24
Serve over mashed potato – Essential for mopping up every drop of that amazing sauce!