Beef Bourguignon is pretty much a fancy French recipe for beef stew with red wine. Did I get you at “wine”? And when I said “wine”, it’s a whole bottle, people, I’m not talking a little splish and splash here. While most beef stew is overcooked to my liking, I mean to the point where the veggies are so mushy you can spread it as butter and the meat is too dry. This Beef Bourguignon is all delicious goodness. The meat is so fall-apart tender and the veggies (carrots, mushrooms, small onions) are soft but still hold their shape, the onions give the natural sweetness to the sauce. Oh, and did I mention bacon? Yes, there are some bacon pieces in this Beef Bourguignon. How can you go wrong?
It takes some steps and about 1 hour and 45 minutes, but mostly in the oven and there’s nothing too complicated that you can’t accomplish. The good news is it is even better the next day, so if you plan to have a party, you can make this ahead of time.
I got this recipe from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris cookbook. I collect her cookbooks and her recipes are amazing, they never disappoint me. The only 2 things I changed are 1) I use less salt, I cut it in half. I like to go easy on salt, you can always add it but you can’t take it out and taste it along the way. 2) Less olive oil, also cut in half since we also get some fat from bacon.
My Beef Bourguignon is in the oven right now while I’m typing this. It smells heavenly and I can’t wait to eat it with the Dutch Oven Bread that I made fresh this morning. It’s the easiest bread recipe you can make at home so I hope you check it out. Ooooo, I’m feeling so domestic today.
I also have a few other French recipes, hope you check them out as well.
Croque Madame, Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic, Nutella and Banana Crepes, Ham and Cheese Crepes, Scrambled Eggs and Ham Crepes, Chocolate Almond Croissants, French Apple Tart, French Macarons, and French Onion Soup
Let’s cook some food!
Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch Oven
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, onions, 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. I used multi-color carrots. How pretty!
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the Cognac, let it cook for a couple minutes to burn off the alcohol.
Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices.
Add the bottle of wine.
Add enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.
Add the tomato paste and thyme.
Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven for about 1 hour to 1 and 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork.
Stir the flour mixture into the stew.
Add the frozen onions.
Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Add cooked mushrooms to the stew.
Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve with toasted Country bread, French Baguette or homemade Dutch Oven Bread. You can also sprinkle with some fresh parsley (optional).
I really hope you give this Beef Bourguignon a try. This is the best beef stew, I promise you’ll love it.
Since this Beef Bourguignon recipe comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris and my love to Paris, here is a picture of the Eiffel Towel from our last trip. Enjoy!
- ½ tablespoon regular olive oil (not extra virgin)
- ½ lb. bacon, diced
- 2½ pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
- ½ cup Cognac or brandy
- 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine
- 2 to 2½ cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 lb. frozen small whole onions
- 1 lb. fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
- parsley for garnish (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a large plate.
- Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
- Toss the carrots, onions, ½ tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, let it cook for a couple minutes to burn off the alcohol.
- Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine. Add enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven for about 1 hour to 1 and ¼ hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork. Stir the flour mixture into the stew. Add the frozen onions.
- Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley (optional)
- Serve with toasted Country bread, French Baguette or homemade Dutch Oven Bread.
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