Boeuf Bourguignon (French Beef Braised in Red Wine)

About This Recipe

Boeuf bourguignon is perhaps the most famous dish from Burgundy, France's great wine and beef region. Beef (traditionally charolais) is braised for hours in a full bottle of Burgundy (or other robust red wine) with lardons (cured pork lardons), pearl onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and bay. The collagen in the tough cut of beef dissolves during the long braise, creating a velvety sauce of extraordinary depth. Julia Child's presentation of the dish to Americans in her 1961 cookbook 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' introduced it to the world beyond France. The key to success is using a proper braising cut (chuck, cheek or short rib), a good wine (you must taste what you cook with) and sufficient time.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbeef chuck or cheek, cut into large cubes
• 750 mlred wine (Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône)
• 500 mlbeef stock
• 200 glardons (smoked bacon cut into strips)
• 200 gpearl onions or shallots, peeled
• 250 gbutton mushrooms, quartered
• 3carrots, roughly sliced
• 4garlic cloves
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 2 tbspplain flour
• bouquet garnithyme sprigs and bay leaves
• 40 gbutter
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• to tastesalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate beef (optional)

   For best results, marinate beef overnight in wine, carrots and herbs. Drain, pat dry before browning. Reserve marinade.

2. 2

   Brown lardons

   In a large heavy pot, fry lardons in oil until golden. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   Brown beef

   Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown in batches in the rendered fat over high heat until deeply coloured on all sides. Remove and set aside.

4. 4

   Cook aromatics

   Add carrots, garlic and tomato paste to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Deglaze and braise

   Add wine (and marinade if using), stock and bouquet garni. Return beef and lardons. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 2.5–3 hours until beef is very tender.

6. 6

   Finish

   Meanwhile, sauté pearl onions in butter until golden. Fry mushrooms in butter until browned. Add both to the pot in the last 30 minutes. Before serving, remove the bouquet garni and skim excess fat from the surface.

Variations

• •

  Substitute chicken for beef (coq au vin) for a quicker, lighter version.

• •

  Add a few anchovy fillets when building the sauce — they dissolve completely and deepen the savouriness.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions