Description
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish featuring tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich red wine and beef stock sauce, enhanced with bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, and aromatic herbs. This slow-cooked stew offers a deep, savory flavor perfect for a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meats and Fats
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces bacon, roughly chopped
- 3 pounds beef brisket (trimmed of fat) or chuck steak, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons butter
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large carrot, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 12 pearl onions, small (optional)
- 1 pound white or brown mushrooms, quartered
Liquids and Seasonings
- 3 cups red wine (Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti; for milder sauce use 2 cups)
- 2-3 cups beef stock (use 3 cups if only 2 cups of wine used)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef and Bacon: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Brown the Beef: Increase heat to medium-high and add the beef chunks in batches, browning on all sides to develop color. Avoid overcrowding. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, add the diced white onion and sliced carrot, cooking until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add half of the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove raw flour taste, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze with Wine: Slowly pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly to thicken the sauce for about 10 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients: Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, crushed bouillon cube, fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Simmer the Stew: Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Let the stew simmer gently for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the beef is tender and falling apart. Stir occasionally and add more stock if needed.
- Prepare Pearl Onions and Mushrooms: While stew simmers, blanch pearl onions in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and peel. In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat and sauté mushrooms and remaining minced garlic until browned and cooked through.
- Add Vegetables to Stew: About 30 minutes before the stew finishes cooking, add sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions to the pot along with half of the chopped parsley. Continue to simmer uncovered to thicken sauce if needed.
- Finish and Serve: Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining fresh parsley and serve hot, ideally with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- For a milder wine flavor, reduce red wine to 2 cups and increase beef stock to 3 cups.
- Peeling pearl onions is easier if they are blanched in boiling water for a minute and then shocked in cold water.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for even cooking and heat distribution.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors continue to meld.
- This dish can be adapted for slow cooker or Instant Pot methods for convenience.
- If unavailable, fresh thyme can be substituted with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 624 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1163 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 59 g
- Cholesterol: 151 mg
