Beef Bourguignon Recipe

5 from 1 vote

A rustic French beef stew with deep wine flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: French

Keyword: beef recipe, bourguignon

Servings:

Calories: 505kcal

Author: Daisy Merano

Cook the bacon in a pot until fat comes out and the bacon turn light to medium brown. Remove the bacon and half of the fat. Put in a bowl. Set aside.
6 ounces bacon
Continue to heat the pot with bacon fat. Add the cubed beef and then cook for 5 to 8 minutes (or until the color turns medium brown) while stirring. Transfer to a bowl and include the juice. Set aside.
2 lbs. beef chuck or sirloin (see notes below)
Pour the bacon fat saved in step 1 into the pot. Heat the pot and then add the carrot; sauté for 3 minutes. Add the diced yellow onion. Continue to sauté until the onion gets soft.
2 medium carrots, 1 medium yellow onion
Put the cooked beef (with juice) and bacon back in the pot. Stir.
Pour the red wine and beef broth. Let boil.
3 cups red wine, 2 cups beef broth
Stir and add tomato paste and fresh thyme. Cover, set the heat to low, and then cook for 2 hours; add more beef broth if it starts to dry out.
2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan. Sauté the mushrooms in medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes; set aside.
3 tablespoons butter, ¾ lb. cremini mushroom
Put the pearl onions in the boiling pot of beef stew. Cook for 8 minutes.
12 to 18 pieces pearl onions
Add the sautéed mushrooms with butter. Stir.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Sprinkle the flour on top. Quickly stir until the flour completely dilutes in the sauce.
2 tablespoons flour
Serve.

Choosing the right beef cut. Chuck roast is the best pick here. It has enough connective tissue to hold up through a long simmer and turns tender without falling apart. Sirloin cooks faster but can get tough if overdone. If your butcher offers blade or brisket, those can work too.
Dealing with pearl onions. Fresh pearl onions taste better than frozen, but they take more time to prep. To peel them faster, soak them in warm water for five minutes, then trim both ends and pop them out of their skins. Keep them whole so they don’t disappear in the stew.
Cooking the mushrooms separately. This isn’t just about preference. If you add mushrooms directly to the pot, they release water and dilute the sauce. By sautéing them with butter on the side, you get concentrated flavor and better texture.
Controlling the thickness. The stew thickens naturally during the slow simmer, but the final sprinkle of flour helps bind the sauce. Don’t use cornstarch or cream here, it shifts the dish into something else entirely. Stir the flour well so no clumps remain.
Storing and reheating. This stew actually tastes better the next day. Store it in an airtight container and reheat slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a splash of water or broth to loosen it up before serving.