Description
Classic French Beef Bourguignon is a hearty, flavorful stew featuring tender beef chuck braised slowly in red wine with bacon, vegetables, and aromatic herbs. This rich and comforting dish is perfect for cozy dinners and showcases traditional French cooking techniques with a deep, complex flavor profile.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Bacon
- 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb baby potatoes or waxy potatoes, halved
- 8 oz pearl onions, peeled
- 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Cook Bacon: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Once done, transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside.
- Sear the Beef: Using the bacon fat, sear the beef cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding. Brown all sides thoroughly to develop flavor. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add olive oil to the pot if the bacon fat is insufficient. Then sauté the chopped onions and sliced carrots for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add Garlic and Tomato Paste: Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for about 1 minute to combine flavors and develop a rich base.
- Thicken with Flour: Sprinkle in the flour evenly over the vegetables and cook for another minute, which helps thicken the stew later.
- Deglaze with Wine: Slowly pour in the red wine while stirring constantly to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom for added depth.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Pour in the beef broth, add fresh thyme leaves, bay leaves, the cooked bacon, and the seared beef cubes back into the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Braise in Oven: Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the preheated oven. Let the stew braise for 2 hours to tenderize the beef and meld flavors.
- Add Vegetables: After 2 hours, stir in the halved potatoes, peeled pearl onions, and quartered mushrooms. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered or loosely covered, and cook for another 45 minutes until the beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaves, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot, ideally with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- For enhanced flavor, marinate the beef in red wine overnight before cooking.
- Serve the stew with crusty bread or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce.
- Leftover beef bourguignon tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
- Use gluten-free flour if you want a gluten-free version of this dish.
