Boeuf Bourguignon

Name: Boeuf Bourguignon
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kg beef chuck or shin, cubed 4 cm (some marbling for richness); 200 g lardons (smoked pork belly cut 1 cm × 3 cm) OR 200 g thick-cut bacon diced; 750 ml full-bodied Burgundy red wine (Pinot Noir) — DO NOT use cheap wine; 200 ml beef stock; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 large onion (~250 g), finely diced for the marinade and braise; 2 medium carrots (~250 g), cut into 2 cm chunks; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 30 g unsalted butter + 2 tbsp olive oil for searing; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 bouquet garni: 3 thyme sprigs + 2 bay leaves + 6 parsley stems tied with kitchen string; 250 g pearl onions (silverskin), peeled; 250 g cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered; 30 g extra butter for the mushroom-and-pearl-onion garnish; 1.5 tsp salt + 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp Cognac OR brandy for optional flambé; Fresh flat-leaf parsley + baguette + boiled new potatoes or buttered egg noodles to serve

Boeuf Bourguignon is the gastronomic jewel of the Burgundy region of France, a dish that transforms beef into liquid velvet through long hours of simmering in red wine. The recipe traces back to French rural kitchens, where cooks used it to tenderize tougher cuts. Each pot develops its own character through the garnish of carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions that absorb the essence of the wine. It is a masterpiece of culinary patience.

Total time3h 30m

Active time30m

Servings6

DifficultyMedium

Cost$$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

❄️

Can be frozen

Great for meal prep

🕐

Slow simmered

Low and slow cooking

🍲

One-pot

Minimal washing up

Ingredients 6 servings

1.5 kg beef chuck or shin, cubed 4 cm (some marbling for richness)
200 g lardons (smoked pork belly cut 1 cm × 3 cm) OR 200 g thick-cut bacon diced
750 ml full-bodied Burgundy red wine (Pinot Noir) — DO NOT use cheap wine
200 ml beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large onion (~250 g), finely diced for the marinade and braise
2 medium carrots (~250 g), cut into 2 cm chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
30 g unsalted butter + 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 bouquet garni: 3 thyme sprigs + 2 bay leaves + 6 parsley stems tied with kitchen string
250 g pearl onions (silverskin), peeled
250 g cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered
30 g extra butter for the mushroom-and-pearl-onion garnish
1.5 tsp salt + 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp Cognac OR brandy for optional flambé
Fresh flat-leaf parsley + baguette + boiled new potatoes or buttered egg noodles to serve

How to make it

1Place 1.5 kg cubed beef in a non-reactive bowl with the 750 ml red Burgundy, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 4 garlic cloves, the bouquet garni and 1 tsp pepper, then cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours; drain through a sieve while reserving the wine, and pat the beef very dry with paper towel so it sears rather than steams.
2In a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, cook 200 g lardons for 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden and the fat is fully rendered, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and leave 2 tbsp of rendered fat behind in the pot.
3Raise the heat to high and add 1 tbsp olive oil plus 15 g butter, then sear the dried beef cubes in 3-4 uncrowded batches for 2-3 minutes per side (about 8 minutes per batch) until deeply browned on all sides; transfer each batch to a tray and leave the dark fond stuck to the pot as your flavour base.
4Reduce the heat to medium, add 250 g diced onion and 250 g carrot chunks and cook 5 minutes until starting to soften, then stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute; pour in 2 tbsp Cognac and ignite carefully (the flames die in 30 seconds), or skip the flambe and simply use the Cognac to deglaze.
5Sprinkle 3 tbsp flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste, then pour in the reserved wine slowly while scraping the bottom to lift the fond, add 200 ml beef stock, the bouquet garni, 1.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, and return the beef and lardons to the pot so the liquid barely covers everything.
6Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar and transfer to a 160 °C oven (or simmer on the lowest stovetop heat) for 2.5-3 hours, stirring every 45 minutes until the beef is fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened to a glossy coats-the-spoon consistency; discard the bouquet garni.
7In a separate skillet, melt 15 g butter over medium heat, add 250 g peeled pearl onions with 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt, cover and cook 15 minutes, then uncover and brown 5 minutes until glossy and golden; in the same skillet add another 15 g butter and 250 g mushrooms and saute 6-8 minutes in 2 batches until deeply golden brown, never crowding the pan.
8Fold the pearl onions and mushrooms into the braise and warm together 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt and let the braise rest 10 minutes off the heat so the flavours deepen; serve generous portions in deep plates over boiled new potatoes (or buttered egg noodles), scatter with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and offer crusty baguette to mop up the sauce -- it is always better the next day, and pairs perfectly with a bottle of the same Burgundy you cooked with.