As the days are getting colder, and the evenings darker, nothing is more heartwarming than a wholesome bowl of warm beef bourguignon. This is a cosy dish to share with family and friends after a long walk on crispy autumn leaves of gold and scarlet hues.


Beef Bourguignon
Print Recipe
3 from 2 votes

Jacques’s Beef Bourguignon

Try this soul-warming beef bourguignon to welcome the autumn season
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: beef, bourguignon
Servings: 6 People

Ingredients

  • 4-5 tbsp canola oil
  • 1.5 kg stewing beef cut into 2-in. (5-cm) cubes
  • 300 g smoked bacon cut into lardons
  • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 bottle red wine Chianti or Bordeaux
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 500 ml beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 400 g pearl onions, peeled halved, if large
  • 400 g assorted mushrooms button, girolle, chanterelle, etc.
  • 3 carrots peeled and sliced thinly crosswise
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour optional
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the beef cubes in batches over high heat, removing them as they brown and adding more oil as necessary. When all the meat has browned, place it all back in the pot. Add the bacon and onion, and cook for 3–4 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, wine, tomato paste, beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any meat juices sticking to it. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C/Gas Mark 2). Place the covered pot in the oven and cook for 2½ hours.
  • Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet, add the pearl onions, and sauté over medium heat until browned. In a separate skillet, melt the remaining butter, add the mushrooms, and sauté over medium heat until browned. Set aside.
  • Remove the pot from the oven and add the sliced carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms. Let simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, until the beef and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
  • If you wish to thicken the sauce, place the flour in a bowl and whisk in about 1 tablespoon cold water using a fork until smooth. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons of the sauce from the pot, then pour this mixture into the pot and stir until the sauce slowly thickens.

Notes

I like to serve this beef Bourguignon with boiled potatoes.

Extracted from My Art of Entertaining: Recipes and Tips from Miss Maggie’s Kitchen by Héloïse Brion(Flammarion, 2022).

Photography © Christophe Roué 2022.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. 1 star
    I am very sorry but there is a serious problem with this recipe. Admittedly I have not tried it and I will explain why I wouldn’t. In the first place, let me congratulate you on not falling into the trap of adding carrots. Never do that. Unfortunately that is my praise stops.
    The daube “boeuf bourguignon” is made with Pinot Noir the wine of burgundy. Claret? Chianti? Please.
    I start with marinading the meat in a bottle of decent burgundy overnight at least. I add sliced onions and ground black pepper and a bouquet garni. Keep the marinade. Sieve it. Thoroughly dry the pieces of meat. Fry them in olive oil to seal the meat. Don’t burn them. Once removed mop up the oil with flour and make sure it is cooked gently. Use the marinade and vegetable stock if you need to cook the meet slowly until tender. I expect it used to be done in a baker’s oven.
    Petit salle and not smoked bacon should be used. It is salted so be careful because it might make the dish too salty. The wine and the packaged stock cubes will have quite enough salt. Maybe sensible not to add the pork till the end when you have tasted the daube it for salt.
    This recipe should deliver the daube that beats all.

    • Hi Paul, You seem to be an expert with boeuf bourguignon. I love your idea of marinating the meat with burgundy overnight. It would add an even more rich and tender flavor. Which recipe do you use? This one? Julia Child’s? Jacques Pepin’s? I plan on making boeuf bourguignon for Christmas and I would love to start off with a definitive recipe. Thank you.

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