Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon is a French classic featuring tender beef cubes marinated in red wine, then braised with bacon, mushrooms, carrots, and pearl onions in a savory, seasoned sauce.
Servings: 8
Calories: 652kcal
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE:
- 3 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into 1inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
- 3 medium bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves chopped
- 4 large sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped
- 2 small sprigs of rosemary, leaves chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into four sticks
- 1 medium onion peeled and cut in height
- 3 cups bottle of dry red wine
FOR THE STEW:
- 0.25 pound bacon, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 fluid ounces tomato paste
- Wine from the marinade
- 3 cups light veal stock
- 1 small bouquet garni
- 3 large carrots peel and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pound white mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 0.25 pound whole peeled pearl onions
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the meat: Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes, trimming off fat, skin and connective tissues. Place in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the garlic, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, carrot sticks, cut onion, and red wine. Cover the meat with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Start the stew: Drain the meat and vegetables in a strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the aromatic garnish, and reserve the strained wine. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat and brown half of the meat with salt and pepper. Then, place contents in a pot or a casserole.
- Add the remaining vegetable oil and repeat the process for the second half of the meat. Remove the browned meat. Add the cut bacon to the sauté pan on medium-high heat and brown the bacon. Add to the beef; keep the pot aside. Sprinkle the flour on the top of the meat; mix well with a wooden spoon until well coated. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. This process is called "singer" and allows the gluten to be cooked while eliminating the flour taste.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. It will allow the tomato paste to "roast," and remove its characteristic bitterness.
- Heat the reserved pan and remove any grease from it. When heated, add the red wine from the marinade. Bring to a boil and skim off all impurities with a skimmer or small sieve. This will clarify the wine. Remove the pot from the oven and place it on low heat. Add wine, veal stock, bouquet garni, sliced carrots, and chopped garlic. Stir well, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Wash and quarter the mushrooms, add them to the pot and cook covered for about 1 hour on low heat.
- After 1 hour of cooking, place the pot with the lid into the oven and cook for an additional hour. Stir from time to time during the cooking process. In the meantime, soak the pearl onions for 15 minutes in hot water; this will help you to peel them more easily. Peel and keep aside. After 2 hours of cooking, the meat should be tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the pearl onions, stir, cover and bake for 30 more minutes.
- When the meat is cooked, remove the bouquet garni, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, and serve the Beef Bourguignon hot.
Notes
History:
- Beef Bourguignon is one of many examples of older recipes being slowly refined into haute cuisine. Most likely the particular method of slowly simmering the beef in wine originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way. The slow cooking and simmering in the wine tenderized the meat while keeping the meat flavor in the dish.
- Over time, the dish became a standard of French cuisine. The recipe that most people still follow to make an authentic boeuf bourguignon was first codified by Auguste Escoffier. That recipe, however, has undergone subtle changes, owing to changes in cooking equipment and available food supplies.
Beef Bourguignon Cooking Tips
- Choose the Right Cut: Use well-marbled cuts like chuck roast or brisket for tender results. These cuts break down beautifully over long cooking times, adding richness to the stew.
- Marinate Overnight: Marinating the beef in red wine with herbs and aromatics for 24 hours deepens the flavors and tenderizes the meat.
- Sear in Batches: Brown the meat in small batches to avoid crowding, ensuring each piece gets a crusty sear. This step locks in flavor and enhances the stew’s depth.
- Use High-Quality Wine: A good-quality dry red wine like Burgundy or Pinot Noir works best. The wine’s flavor becomes more pronounced in the sauce, so choose one you enjoy.
- Deglaze Properly: After browning, deglaze the pan with the reserved marinade to capture all the delicious browned bits, which infuse the sauce with intense, savory flavors.
- Slow and Low Cooking: Allow the stew to cook slowly for 2-3 hours to ensure that the flavors meld and the beef becomes incredibly tender.
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