Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Description:

Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish that combines tender chunks of beef with red wine, mushrooms, onions, and bacon to create a rich, hearty stew. This recipe serves 6 people and takes about 3 hours to prepare and cook.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds (700g) beef chuck or blade roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 strips of bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups red wine (such as Burgundy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 8 ounces (225g) mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

2 hours 30 minutes

Serving Size:

6 servings

How to Cook Beef Bourguignon

1. Dredge the beef in flour: Place the diced beef pieces into a bowl and toss with enough flour to lightly coat each piece. Shake off any excess.
2. Cook bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Brown the beef: Increase the heat to high and add olive oil to the pot if needed. Add the floured beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, cooking each batch for 3-4 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
4. Cook onions: Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped onion to the bacon fat in the pot. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
6. Sauté mushrooms: Add quartered mushrooms to the pot and sauté them with onions and garlic until they start to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Cook beef: Return the bacon, beef, and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Stir in tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
8. Add wine and broth: Pour red wine over everything in the pot and bring to a simmer. Let it cook for 5 minutes, allowing alcohol to burn off slightly.
9. Cover and simmer: Add beef broth to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for about 2 hours or until meat is tender.
10. Add vegetables: After an hour of cooking, add carrots to the stew. Continue to cook until the beef is very tender and the sauce has thickened, approximately another 30 minutes.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning: Remove bay leaves before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
12. Serve hot: Serve the Beef Bourguignon in bowls with crusty bread for dipping into the rich sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme sprigs if desired.

This recipe creates a comforting, deeply flavored stew that is perfect for cold evenings and special occasions alike. The slow cooking process ensures that all ingredients meld together beautifully, creating layers of flavor in every bite.