Beef bourguignon is the French classic that turns a tough cut of beef into something that melts in your mouth. Chunks of beef are browned until deeply crusted, then braised for hours in red wine and beef broth with onions, carrots, mushrooms, and a hint of garlic and thyme. The result is a rich, dark stew with tender meat and a sauce so good you will want to drink it. It is the kind of dinner that makes a cold evening feel like an occasion.
A great beef bourguignon recipe is mostly about patience. The browning of the beef matters more than any other step. You want a deep, dark crust on every cube, because that crust is where the flavor of the stew comes from. After that, the vegetables go in, the wine goes in, and the pot goes into a low oven for two to three hours while everything melts together.
The vegetable prep is where a chopper makes a real difference. Carrots need to be cut into thick rounds. Mushrooms need to be quartered or halved. Onions and garlic need dicing. Pearl onions need peeling. A vegetable chopper with a large dice grid handles the carrots and mushrooms in about a minute. The onions and garlic go through the medium grid. Even cuts mean every vegetable cooks at the same rate in the braise.
Ingredients
· 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes
· 1¼ teaspoons salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
· 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
· 1 medium yellow onion, diced
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 2 cups dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
· 2 cups beef broth
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 2 bay leaves
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 4 sprigs fresh)
· 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
· 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered
· 1 cup frozen pearl onions (or 1 small jar, drained)
· Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
· Buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes for serving
How to Make Beef Bourguignon
Step 1: Brown the Beef
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season them all over with the salt and pepper. Dry meat browns better than wet meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer, working in batches so the pan is not crowded. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until the beef is deeply browned. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon and Aromatics
Add the diced bacon to the pot and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the plate with the beef, leaving the fat in the pot. Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
Step 3: Build the Braise
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Pour in the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir everything together and return the beef and bacon to the pot.
Step 4: Braise in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Braise for 2 hours, until the beef is tender but not yet falling apart.
Step 5: Add the Vegetables and Finish
After 2 hours, stir in the carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered this time, and braise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through. The sauce will reduce and thicken slightly during this final uncovered stretch. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Tips for the Best Beef Bourguignon
Use the right wine. A beef bourguignon recipe is named for Burgundy, and a dry Pinot Noir or Burgundy is the classic choice. Do not use cooking wine. You want a bottle you would drink. The wine is a main ingredient, not a splash.
Brown the beef in batches. If you crowd the pan, the beef steams instead of sears and you lose all that flavor. Work in small batches and let the pot come back up to temperature between rounds. The browning step is worth taking your time on.
Add the vegetables near the end. If the carrots and mushrooms go in at the start, they will cook for three hours and turn to mush. Adding them in the final 45 minutes keeps them tender but intact.
Serving Suggestions
Beef bourguignon is traditionally served over buttered egg noodles, but it is also wonderful over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta. A crusty loaf of bread for soaking up the sauce is a must. A simple green salad rounds out the meal.
Storage
Beef bourguignon tastes even better the next day. It keeps in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. It also freezes beautifully. Cool completely, portion into containers, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight and reheat.
A beef bourguignon recipe is a project, but most of the time is oven time. The real work is browning the beef and chopping the vegetables. A vegetable chopper handles the carrots, mushrooms, and onions in a couple of minutes. The oven does the rest over three lazy hours.
