Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon is the epitome of cold-weather comfort food. There are two recipes I have made for years because honestly, they are the best. This was, after all, one of the dishes Julia Child was most famous for. Ina Garten added a few of her own touches that I really like but don’t mess with the original recipe too much. In my opinion, this is a dish you honor these chefs with, instead of changing it up too much. It’s a classic. That being said, “my version” incorporates pieces of each recipe, I measured everything myself to produce my favorite version of this classic dish.
There’s nothing better on a cold, rainy weekend than cooking a big pot of Beef Bourguignon. The beef is so fall-apart tender and delicious, the house fills with smells of warmth and comfort, add some warm sourdough bread, and its heaven. For this recipe, you can either buy beef stew meat that is already cut into cubes or buy a boneless chuck roast and cut them yourself. Also, if you don’t have a half bottle of wine to add, you can always sub more beef broth. Don’t skip the tomato paste, it adds an incredible depth of flavor to the dish. Throw this Beef Bourguignon in the oven, grab a glass of that bottle of red wine you opened and sit down in front of a cozy fire or a game…enjoy!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
French
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 oz. pancetta, diced
3-4 lbs. boneless chuck roast cut into 1” cubes, or beef stew meat already cut
Kosher salt & black pepper
4 Tbsp. AP flour, divided in half
3 carrots, cleaned and sliced into coins
1 leek, cleaned and sliced thinly, white and light green only
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ bottle red wine
1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
32 oz. beef broth
8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup sherry wine
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp. EVOO. Add diced pancetta and cook until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove it using a slotted spoon and reserve in a separate bowl.
While that’s cooking cut the chuck roast into 1” pieces (or use beef stew meat that is already cut to this size). Season all sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and dust with 2 Tbsp. flour.
Add another 2 Tbsp. of EVOO to the dutch oven and remaining drippings from the pancetta. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, add beef to the pot, cooking about 2 mins until turning, browning all sides. About 6-8 mins total cooking time, remove and continue cooking beef in batches.
Preheat oven to 325F and adjust racks if needed to fit the dutch oven.
Add sliced carrots, leeks, garlic, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to the pot, cook for about 5 mins. Sprinkle with another 2 Tbsp. flour and stir to coat, cooking for another 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour.
Add ½ bottle red wine, bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, reduce to simmer for about 5 mins. and it thickens.
When the wine has reduced slightly, add tied rosemary & thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce, add beef and accumulated juices back to the pot. Add beef broth about halfway up the beef, do not completely submerge. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
Cover and cook at 325F for 1-1/2 hours.
While that’s cooking, heat a skillet to medium heat, add equal amounts of EVOO and butter, and sauté sliced mushrooms for about 5 mins. Turn off the heat, add sherry wine and cook for another 2 mins. Reserve the mushrooms while the beef braises.
After the Beef Bourguignon has finished cooking, bring it to the stovetop and stir in the reserved mushrooms and half of the cooked pancetta.
Serve in bowls, topping with reserved crispy pancetta and chopped fresh parsley.