Boeuf Bourguignon

Hearty Beef Stew cooked long and slow creating very tender beef. This recipe has been around since the Middle Ages, but didn’t reach French restaurants until 1903 when the King of chefs, Auguste Escoffer published its ingredients and method for preparing.

This stew originated in Burgundy, a bucolic French region about 60 miles southeast of Paris. Traditionally made with braised beef, red wine, pearl onions, mushrooms, garlic and herbs, it is a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. The stew is rich, satisfying and very comforting. Perfect for a chilly early spring night.

I combined a NYT recipe with Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon and made a few twists of my own. Who am I to question either NYT recipe creators or Julia Child’s, but I sometimes can’t help myself :-)

I used beef chuck, which was already cut into 1 inch cubes. If you use a different boneless stewing beef, which is not cut, start by cutting them into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Pat them dry and liberally salt with at least 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

You do not have to make your own beef stock, but it is always better than what you buy in the box. I used a few beef shanks, celery, carrot, onion and herbs, lots of salt and pepper,  to make the stock and cooked down for a couple of hours. You will need 2 to 3 cups of beef broth depending on how much wine you use. If using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups of beef stock. That was the proportion I used and it was rich, but not too winey.

I did not have a bottle of burgundy so used this lovely Pinot Noir from Argentina. Merlot also works well for this stew.

You can use either bacon, lardons or pancetta for this stew. I used thick-cut bacon. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook bacon over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned and crisp; about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the fat in the pot.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise the heat in your pot until the fat from the bacon is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between the pieces. Do not overcrowd. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10-15 minutes.

Reduce heat and stir in carrot, onion and salt and cook until veg are soft; about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Deglaze with 1 1/2 cup beef broth. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Then add the wine, 1 1/2 cups more beef stock, bay leaf and thyme, scraping all the brown bits up from the bottom. Add the browned beef and half the cooked bacon back to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven. Let cook until the beef is very tender; about 1 1/2 hours, turning the meat halfway through.

While that is cooking in the oven, peel the pearl onions. Here is a trick, which you may already know to make peeling these baby onions easier. Pour boiling water over the onions and let sit for about 5 minutes.

The skins come off very easily. Once peeled, in a large skillet with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil set over high heat, combine the pearl onions, mushrooms, 1/4 cup beef stock, pinch of salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. honey. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high and cook, tossing frequently until veggies are well browned; about 5 minutes.

To serve, scatter the onions and mushrooms and remaining bacon over the stew. Top with parsley (optional). I chose not to, but I think the color would uplift the look of the stew and parsley is so refreshing.

This may sound like a lot of steps, but well worth it. Take your time. Have a glass of burgundy while you make this scrumptious stew and then sit down with loved ones to enjoy with some hearty French bread. Boeuf Bourguignon is traditionally served over mashed potatoes, but get creative and serve over pasta, risotto, polenta or just own its own as a stew.

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Boeuf Bourguignon

Rich, comforting, satisfying and deeply delicious Old World French stew.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Beef chuck or other boneless stewing beef but into 1-2 inch cubes and patted dry
• 2 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz. Thick-cut bacon; about 1 1/4 cups
• 1 Small Shallot, diced 1 small onion works well, too.
• 1 Large Carrot, sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced, plus more for sauteing mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. Tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
• 2 1/2 cups Good red wine; burgundy, merlot or pinto noir
• 3 cups Beef Broth
• 1 lge. Bay leaf
• 1 lge. Sprig thyme
• 12 Pearl onions, peeled
• 16 oz. Button Mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• Chopped flat leaf parsley, optional

Instructions

• Season beef with 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the fridge overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet with a tightfitting lid, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and the bacon is browned and crisp; about 10-15 minutes.. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the fat in the pan.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise the heat under the pot to medium high and heat until the fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between the pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides; 10-15 minutes. Transfer the pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat until all the meat is browned,
• Reduce heat, if necessary to prevent burning and stir in shallot, carrot, remaining salt and cook until soft; about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Deglaze with 1 3/4 cups beef broth.
• Stir in garlic, tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the browned beef and half the cooked bacon. Cover and transfer to the oven. Let cook until the beef is very tender; about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine the pearl onions, mushrooms, 1 1/4 cup beef stock, olive oil and a pinch of salt, pepper and honey. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes to soften the veg. Uncover. Raise heat to high and cook, tossing frequently until he veg are well browned; about 5 to 7 minutes.

  To serve, over mashed potatoes, scatter the shallots and mushrooms and remain bacon over the stew. Top with parsley.
• This is not baking. Take liberties. Add more or less wine. More or less beef broth. Interesting herbs. Other veg. Chef Escoffer is the King, but we can also get bold.