FoodieAtlas
Recipes around the World
Beef bourguignon is an act of patience: beef chuck, cut into large cubes, spends hours submerged in Burgundy wine while lardons render their fat, pearl onions caramelize, and mushrooms deepen the sauce to something close to velvet. The dish comes from the Burgundy region, where the same wine that goes into the pot is poured into the glass — a logic that only works when the wine is worth drinking on its own. It became a French bourgeois classic not because it's elaborate but because time does most of the work; the oven transforms a cheap cut into something that pulls apart with a spoon. Julia Child's 1961 version in Mastering the Art of French Cooking is still the reference that home cooks worldwide use, and it has barely been improved upon.
Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in batches, browning them on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, add the diced bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the sliced carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.
Return the browned beef and bacon to the pot. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the meat and vegetables.
Add the red wine, beef broth, and tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
Add the bouquet garni and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C).
Braise the beef in the oven for about 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the meat is tender.
While the beef is braising, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, and cook until they are golden brown.
Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bouquet garni.
Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot, stirring to combine.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the Beef Bourguignon hot, with mashed potatoes, noodles, or crusty bread.
Classic French braise: beef chuck braised in red wine with aromatics, lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms until the sauce reduces to something dark and glossy. The result is meat that pulls apart with a spoon.
The Burgundy region of France, where the same wine that goes into the pot is meant for drinking. It began as a bourgeois dish — not peasant, not grand restaurant — the kind of thing you'd serve at a proper dinner party.
Beef chuck, Burgundy wine, lardons (or bacon), pearl onions, mushrooms, and a bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaf, and parsley.
Dry the beef thoroughly before searing — wet beef steams instead of browning, and you need that caramelized crust for flavor. Deglaze the pan completely after browning to get all the fond into the braising liquid.
Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. The wine you used in the pot — a good Burgundy — is the correct drink alongside.