Bouef Bourguignon: Beef Burgundy
Classic Rich French Stew with Red Wine, Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
The flavors in this stew are rich, but the price is more time than money. Prep time is front-loaded so you have time to tend your garden while the stew slowly simmers.
Beef is expensive, so stews are a budget bonus because they call for less expensive cuts of meat. Markets will usually have packages marked stewing beef but compare prices. Depending on what’s on sale, a chuck roast or other cut may be both a better buy and you can cube it to suit yourself.
These cuts are less expensive not because they are less flavorful. Au contraire, but they are tougher than the expensive cuts and need long slow cooking to break down the connective tissue. The side benefit in this justly famous French stew is the sauce of onions, mushrooms and red wine that deepen to a richness that will have your dinner companions smiling “mmm.”
Boeuf Bougiuignon –Burgundy-style beef stew—is easier to make than pronounce, particularly if you’ve been testing the wine. The Burgundy region is famous for its fine wines, and indeed this dish will not embarrass you if you may want to serve as good a bottle as you can afford, but a less expensive everyday red table wine will be fine in the stew itself, so long as it is full-bodied, possibly even Rubenesque!
Boeuf Bourgiognon
You will need: a large, heavy, flame-proof casserole or Dutch oven with a lid.
- 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut in 2-inch cubes (or other inexpensive cut)
- 6 oz thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3/4 lb pearl onions, par-boiled and peeled
- 3/4 lb small button mushrooms
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or other full-bodied red wine
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- bouquet garni (see Bouquet Garni: An Irreverent Guide)
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (reserve the stems for the bouquet garni)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In the flameproof casserole over medium flame, cook the bacon pieces until golden brown. Remove them with a slooted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat. Increase the flame to medium-high. Add a layer of meat. Don’t crowd the meat or it will braise instead of browning. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is well browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a large plate and continue browning the rest of the meat in batches.
- While the beef is browning, in a heavy frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the pearl onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are evenly golden. Set aside on a plate.
- Melt 1 more Tbsp butter in the same pan and add the mushrooms. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden, and set them aside with the pearl onions.
- Once all the beef is browned, pour off any fat from the casserole. In it, melt the last Tbsp of butter over medium flame and add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, just unitl softened, 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the wine, tomato past and bouget garni. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef and bacon back into the casserole and pour in enough broth to just cover the meat. Return the mixture to a boil and then turn down the flame to a gentle simmer. Cover the casserole and cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and cook, covered, for 30 minutes longer.
- Discard the bouquet garni and stir in the chopped parsley just before serving.
Hungry for more? Explore the simpler tastes of the regional cuisines beyond Paris :
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