Boeuf Bourguignon
Boeuf Bourguignon is one of the most well known French meat stews. It is warm, comforting, delicious and has rich deep flavors.
I have been trying to recreate the best Boeuf Bourguignon for a long time and went through multiple recipes. In my opinion there are 3 major keys to a successful Boeuf Bourguignon: The overnight marinade in red wine, a (very) marbled beef chuck steak and patience!
It takes a little bit of planning and work but it is worth every minute.
It makes a great main dish on the weekend for a family gathering or a comforting and immensely flavorful meal at a dinner party. The boeuf Bourguignon tastes better the next few days; you will be happy to have leftovers!! I suggest you serve this dish with potato mousseline or small shaped pasta so it can “catch” all the lovely bourguignon sauce.
Oh! For the marinade… use Burgundy wine of course!
There are countless of different versions of this traditional French dish. In most of them the mushrooms, shallots and bacon are added at the end of the laborious cooking process. Since the boeuf bourguignon gets better and gains in flavors when reheated I decided to include them from the start.
I used to prepare this recipe with a lean meat and got bad reviews from my husband to the point where he didn’t care for this dish at all! I argued so much with my butcher always asking him to give me a nice part of the chuck, because “… you know! My husband is very picky and gives me grades! It’s a French stew, it’s gonna cook for 3 hours…” after several trials we got it right and it earned me a new title: “the marbled lady”. Chuck steak saved my reputation and the Boeuf Bourguignon. If you listen to me and cook with chuck I guarantee you success and love.
May 2020: I updated the directions for the recipe, simplifying them a little more and using one pot only.
Bon appétit! :)
Boeuf Bourguignon
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1,5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) beef chuck steak cut in 4 cm (1 ½ inch) cubes
750 ml red wine (from Burgundy)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bouquet garni
250 g (9 oz) bacon, chopped
10 medium sized shallots, peeled and left whole
500 g (around 1 pound) small white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or quartered
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped (makes around 1 cup)
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
5 to 8 fresh parsley sprigs
few sprigs of fresh Thyme
1 bay leaf
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
You will need a large glass bowls, a baking sheet (or tray) and a plate, both lined with paper towels, a slotted spoon, extra paper towels and a big oven safe pot with a lid.
The night before: Put the meat, the wine, the crushed garlic and the bouquet garni in a large glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The cooking day: Heat the oven to 315F (160C).
Remove the marinated beef from the fridge. Place the meat pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Cover the meat with a few paper towels trying to dry them out a little bit. Lightly season the meat with salt and black pepper. Set aside. SAVE THE MARINADE LIQUIDS. You need them for the recipe.
Put the diced bacon in a hot large cooking pot (remember to use an oven safe pot). Let the bacon render its fat and start to crisp up. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon and place it on a plate lined with paper towel. Keep the rendered fat in the pot and use it to sear the meat pieces until nicely browned, over high heat. Work in batches and do not overcrowd the pot. When the meat is seared place the pieces in a clean large bowl and continue with the remaining beef chunks. Set aside. (The seared meat will release some juices,… keep everything in the bowl, we are going to use them for the recipe… be patient!)
Turn the heat under the pot to medium. Put the mushrooms and shallots then season with salt and pepper. Let them cook until the mushrooms release their “juices” and the shallots are soft. Remove the cooked mushrooms and shallots with their juices from the pot and place them in the large bowl, on top of the seared meat.
Put 1 tablespoon of butter in the pot (yes, the same pot) then add the chopped onions and carrots and season lightly with salt. Cook until softened, mixing from time to time to scrap the tasty bits of flavors at the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle the cooked onions and carrots with flour. Mix until everything is evenly coated with flour. Pour the marinade juices (the wine) in the hot pot, mix well, deglaze and bring to a rolling boil stage. It’s time to add all the seared meat, mushrooms, shallots with their juices…. Plus the bacon. Everything goes back in the pot. It’s a party! Bring to a rolling boil stage, add the parsley, thyme and bay leaf, cover and put in the oven for 3 hours.
Try to skim off as much fat as possible before serving. Taste and correct the seasoning if needed.
Serve hot with potato purée or small shaped pasta and a simple crispy green salad.
Here is an idea for a crispy green Kale Salad that goes well with the Boeuf Bourguignon.
Another trick to remove a lot of fat is to prepare the dish a day in advance, let it cool down and put the covered pot in the refrigerator overnight. The next day the fat is on the surface, all solidified and is super easy to remove with a spoon. Slowly reheat the pot content on the stove and serve as planned.
Adapted from the Food of France. A Journey For Food Lovers.
