Name: French Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Ingredients: Beef: 3 lbs (approx. 1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, well-marbled, cut into 1.5 to 2-inch cubes. Why Chuck? It’s a tougher cut initially, but its marbling and connective tissue break down beautifully during the long, slow cooking process, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful meat. Avoid pre-cut stew meat if possible, as the pieces are often too small and from various cuts, leading to uneven cooking.; Bacon: 6 ounces (about 170g) thick-cut smoked bacon or pancetta, cut into lardons (small strips or batons). The Flavor Base: Rendering the bacon provides essential fat for searing the beef and adds a smoky, salty depth that permeates the entire stew.; Olive Oil: 1-2 tablespoons (as needed). Used supplementally if the bacon doesn’t render enough fat.; Vegetables (The Mirepoix & Aromatics): Onions: 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped.; Carrots: 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick rounds or chunks.; Celery: 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional, but adds classic flavour).; Garlic: 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or minced. Adjust to your preference for garlic intensity.; Flour: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. For Thickening: This coats the beef after searing, helping to create a roux that will thicken the sauce as it simmers.; Red Wine: 1 bottle (750 ml) dry, full-bodied red wine. Burgundy (Pinot Noir) is traditional and ideal. Good alternatives include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Côtes du Rhône. Crucial Element: Choose a wine you would enjoy drinking. Its flavour concentrates during cooking, so quality matters immensely. Avoid “cooking wine,” which is often salty and lacks depth.; Beef Broth/Stock: 2-3 cups (480-720 ml) good quality beef broth or stock (low-sodium preferred). Liquid & Depth: This adds richness and ensures enough liquid for the long braise. The exact amount may vary depending on your pot and how much the wine reduces.; Tomato Paste: 2 tablespoons. Umami & Acidity: Adds a concentrated tomato flavour, depth, and a touch of balancing acidity.; Herbs (Bouquet Garni): 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 sprigs fresh parsley; 1-2 bay leaves; Optional: 1 sprig fresh rosemary.; Tie these together with kitchen twine, or place them in a cheesecloth sachet for easy removal later.; Mushrooms (Garniture Bourguignonne): 1 lb (about 450g) cremini (baby bella) or button mushrooms, cleaned and halved or quartered if large. Earthy Finish: Added towards the end to retain their texture and flavour.; Pearl Onions (Garniture Bourguignonne): 10-12 ounces (about 280-340g) frozen pearl onions, thawed, or fresh pearl onions, peeled. Sweet & Savory: These add little bursts of sweetness and visual appeal. Using frozen saves significant peeling time.; Butter: 2 tablespoons, divided. For sautéing the mushrooms and onions.; Seasoning: Kosher salt, to taste (start with 1.5-2 teaspoons for the initial beef seasoning); Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon); Fresh Parsley: Chopped, for garnish upon serving. Freshness & Color: A final touch that brightens the rich dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Beef: 3 lbs (approx. 1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, well-marbled, cut into 1.5 to 2-inch cubes. Why Chuck? It’s a tougher cut initially, but its marbling and connective tissue break down beautifully during the long, slow cooking process, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful meat. Avoid pre-cut stew meat if possible, as the pieces are often too small and from various cuts, leading to uneven cooking.

Bacon: 6 ounces (about 170g) thick-cut smoked bacon or pancetta, cut into lardons (small strips or batons). The Flavor Base: Rendering the bacon provides essential fat for searing the beef and adds a smoky, salty depth that permeates the entire stew.

Olive Oil: 1-2 tablespoons (as needed). Used supplementally if the bacon doesn’t render enough fat.

Vegetables (The Mirepoix & Aromatics):
- Onions: 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped.
- Carrots: 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick rounds or chunks.
- Celery: 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional, but adds classic flavour).
- Garlic: 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or minced. Adjust to your preference for garlic intensity.

Flour: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. For Thickening: This coats the beef after searing, helping to create a roux that will thicken the sauce as it simmers.

Red Wine: 1 bottle (750 ml) dry, full-bodied red wine. Burgundy (Pinot Noir) is traditional and ideal. Good alternatives include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Côtes du Rhône. Crucial Element: Choose a wine you would enjoy drinking. Its flavour concentrates during cooking, so quality matters immensely. Avoid “cooking wine,” which is often salty and lacks depth.

Beef Broth/Stock: 2-3 cups (480-720 ml) good quality beef broth or stock (low-sodium preferred). Liquid & Depth: This adds richness and ensures enough liquid for the long braise. The exact amount may vary depending on your pot and how much the wine reduces.

Tomato Paste: 2 tablespoons. Umami & Acidity: Adds a concentrated tomato flavour, depth, and a touch of balancing acidity.

Herbs (Bouquet Garni):
- 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1–2 bay leaves
- Optional: 1 sprig fresh rosemary.
- Tie these together with kitchen twine, or place them in a cheesecloth sachet for easy removal later.

Mushrooms (Garniture Bourguignonne): 1 lb (about 450g) cremini (baby bella) or button mushrooms, cleaned and halved or quartered if large. Earthy Finish: Added towards the end to retain their texture and flavour.

Pearl Onions (Garniture Bourguignonne): 10-12 ounces (about 280-340g) frozen pearl onions, thawed, or fresh pearl onions, peeled. Sweet & Savory: These add little bursts of sweetness and visual appeal. Using frozen saves significant peeling time.

Butter: 2 tablespoons, divided. For sautéing the mushrooms and onions.

Seasoning:
- Kosher salt, to taste (start with 1.5-2 teaspoons for the initial beef seasoning)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon)
- Fresh Parsley: Chopped, for garnish upon serving. Freshness & Color: A final touch that brightens the rich dish.

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Instructions

Prepare the Beef: Pat the beef cubes thoroughly dry with paper towels. This is crucial for achieving a good sear. If the beef is wet, it will steam instead of browning. Season the beef generously on all sides with kosher salt (about 1.5-2 teaspoons) and freshly ground black pepper (about 1 teaspoon).

Render the Bacon: Place the cut bacon lardons into your cold Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and most of the fat has rendered out, about 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon bits and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate (you’ll use these later, perhaps as a garnish or stirred back in). Leave the rendered bacon fat in the pot. If you don’t have at least 2-3 tablespoons of fat, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.

Sear the Beef (In Batches): Increase the heat to medium-high. The fat should be shimmering but not smoking violently. Carefully add about one-third of the seasoned beef cubes to the pot in a single layer, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding lowers the temperature and causes steaming instead of searing. Sear the beef cubes deeply on all sides until well-browned, turning them with tongs (about 2-4 minutes per side). Don’t rush this step; the brown crust (Maillard reaction) develops immense flavour. Once browned, remove the seared beef with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining beef cubes, adding a little more olive oil if the pot becomes dry. Set all the seared beef aside.

Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery (if using) to the pot. Sauté the vegetables in the remaining fat, stirring occasionally, until they soften and the onions become translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pot as the vegetables release moisture – this is pure flavour! Add the smashed or minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Thicken and Deglaze: Return the seared beef (and any accumulated juices from the plate) back to the Dutch oven with the vegetables. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour over the beef and vegetables. Stir well to coat everything evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flour taste. This creates a base for thickening the stew (a roux).

Add Wine and Broth: Pour in the entire bottle of red wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot vigorously with a wooden spoon to dislodge any remaining browned bits (deglazing). This step incorporates all that concentrated flavour into the sauce. Let the wine simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the alcohol aroma to cook off slightly. Stir in the beef broth and the tomato paste until well combined.

Add Herbs and Seasoning: Add the bouquet garni (thyme, parsley sprigs, bay leaves tied together) to the pot. Add about 1 teaspoon more kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Remember you can always add more salt later, but you can’t take it away. Stir everything together.

Braise in the Oven (The Slow Magic): Bring the stew just to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Once simmering, cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid. Carefully transfer the pot to a preheated oven set to 325°F (160°C). Let the Beef Bourguignon braise slowly in the oven for 2.5 to 3.5 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on your specific cut of beef and oven. Check it after 2.5 hours – the beef should be fork-tender, easily shredding when prodded gently. If it’s still tough, continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes. The long, slow, moist heat of braising is what breaks down the tough connective tissues in the chuck roast, making it melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Prepare the Garnish (While Stew Braises): About 30 minutes before the beef is expected to be tender, prepare the mushroom and pearl onion garnish. In a separate large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the cleaned and halved/quartered mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are nicely browned and have released their liquid, about 5-8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet. Add the thawed (or peeled fresh) pearl onions. Sauté until they are lightly browned and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season lightly. Set aside with the mushrooms.

Finish the Stew: Once the beef is perfectly tender, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove and discard the bouquet garni (the herb bundle). Skim off any excess fat that has risen to the surface using a large spoon (optional, but recommended for a less greasy finish).

Combine and Simmer: Gently stir the sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions into the stew. If you reserved the crispy bacon bits, you can stir some or all of them back in now, or save them purely for garnish. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed – add more salt, pepper, or even a pinch of sugar if it tastes slightly too acidic from the wine/tomato paste. If the sauce seems too thin for your liking, you can simmer it gently on the stovetop, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Conversely, if it’s too thick, stir in a splash more beef broth or hot water.

Rest: Let the finished Beef Bourguignon rest, covered, off the heat for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavours to meld further and the meat to relax.

Serve: Ladle the rich Beef Bourguignon generously into warm bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and, if desired, the reserved crispy bacon bits. Serve immediately with your chosen accompaniments.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 650 - 850