Description
Beef bourguignon brings French comfort with tender beef, red wine sauce, mushrooms, and pearl onions. It’s elegant, slow-simmered, and worth every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Proteins:
- 2 pounds beef chuck
- 4 ounces bacon
Liquid Base:
- 1 bottle red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Ignite your oven to a steady 350°F, preparing the environment for a rich, slow-cooked French classic.
- Render 4 ounces of bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp and golden, creating a flavor foundation. Transfer the bacon bits to a separate plate.
- In the same fragrant bacon drippings, sear 2 pounds of beef chuck cubes until deep brown on all sides. This develops a gorgeous caramelized exterior. Remove beef and reserve.
- Tumble 1 chopped onion and 2 sliced carrots into the pot, sautéing until they soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon flour into the vegetables. Stir constantly for 60 seconds to prevent burning.
- Reunite the reserved bacon and beef in the pot, then cascade 1 full bottle of red wine and 2 cups beef broth over the ingredients.
- Tuck 1 teaspoon thyme and 2 bay leaves into the liquid. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Seal the pot with a tight lid and slide into the preheated oven. Allow 2.5 to 3 hours of patient, slow cooking.
- During the final 30 minutes, introduce 8 ounces of quartered mushrooms to absorb the rich cooking liquid.
- Extract the pot from the oven, discard the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Rest the stew for 15 minutes before serving to let flavors harmonize and settle.
Notes
- Use chuck roast or beef chuck for the most tender, flavorful meat that breaks down beautifully during slow cooking.
- For a deeper flavor, marinate beef overnight in red wine before cooking to enhance the rich taste profile.
- Keep the heat low and steady during braising to ensure the meat becomes meltingly soft without becoming tough or dry.
- Consider making this dish a day ahead, as the flavors develop and intensify when allowed to rest overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Beef
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg