France

Boeuf Bourguignon

Name: Boeuf Bourguignon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 50 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes; 6 oz (170 g) slab bacon or lardons, cut into short strips; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 2 carrots, cut into thick coins; 4 garlic cloves, smashed; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red Burgundy or another Pinot Noir; 2 cups (480 ml) beef stock; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, fresh or frozen and thawed; 1 lb (450 g) button or cremini mushrooms, quartered; 3 tbsp (45 g) butter; 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Bœuf bourguignon

Boeuf bourguignon is what happens when tough beef spends hours in a bottle of red wine from Burgundy. The pearl onions and mushrooms are cooked separately and added at the end, so each piece keeps its own flavor and shape. Everything depends on a hard, patient sear before any wine goes in the pot.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr 50 min
Total: 4 hr 20 min
Serves: 6

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An illustration of Boeuf Bourguignon — Boeuf Bourguignon, illustrated for Tastybop

Ingredients

3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
6 oz (170 g) slab bacon or lardons, cut into short strips
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into thick coins
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red Burgundy or another Pinot Noir
2 cups (480 ml) beef stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 lb (450 g) button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 tbsp (45 g) butter
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Pat the beef very dry with paper towels, then season it with the salt and pepper. Wet meat steams instead of browning.
Put the bacon and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the bacon is browned and the fat has rendered, then lift it out with a slotted spoon.
Raise the heat to medium-high and brown the beef in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, about 20 minutes in all. Leave space between the cubes and wait for a dark crust before turning. Move the browned beef to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the chopped onion and carrots for 6 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then the flour for 1 minute more.
Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves, beef and half the bacon. The liquid should nearly cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and move to the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a fork slides into the beef with no resistance.
While the beef braises, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the pearl onions for 8 minutes, shaking the pan. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until tender and the water is gone. Tip them onto a plate.
Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms in a single layer for about 8 minutes, until well browned, and add a pinch of salt. Reserve them with the onions.
Lift the beef out of the pot and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Skim the fat from the sauce and simmer it on the stove for about 10 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
Return the beef to the pot with the rest of the bacon, the pearl onions and the mushrooms. Heat gently for 5 minutes, adjust the salt and scatter with parsley.

Tips

If the beef still feels firm at 3 hours, it simply needs more time. Chuck turns tender suddenly, so check every 20 minutes rather than raising the heat.
Burgundy is traditional, but any dry, medium-bodied red you would drink works. Avoid anything sweet or heavily oaked, since reduction concentrates both.
A thin sauce can be fixed by simmering it longer. If it turns too thick, loosen it with a splash of stock.

Did you know?

Boeuf bourguignon is a beef stew from Burgundy in eastern France.
It simmers for hours until the beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon.
Like many stews, it's said to taste even better the next day.

Questions

What is the best cut of beef for boeuf bourguignon?

Chuck. Its connective tissue melts into gelatin during a long braise, which keeps the meat moist and gives the sauce body. Lean cuts like sirloin turn dry.

What is the difference between boeuf bourguignon and beef stew?

The liquid and the garnish. Bourguignon is braised mainly in red wine and finished with bacon, pearl onions and mushrooms, while a typical stew relies on stock and cooks its vegetables in the pot.

Can I make boeuf bourguignon a day ahead?

Yes, and the flavor improves. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking, lift off the hardened fat the next day and reheat gently until it simmers. It keeps for 3 to 4 days.