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Ultimate Beef Bourguignon

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Beef Bourguignon is one of my all-time favorite stews.ย  It’s simply incredible and just when you thought the flavor couldn’t get it any better…well, it does!ย  We’re giving the classic beef bourguignon a major flavor boost with an added technique and a “secret” ingredient that takes this already delicious stew completely over the edge!

beef bourguignon recipe best julia child french stew

Boeuf bourguignon is from Burgundy, France, which is the same region where many other famous dishes originated like coq au vin, gougรจres, and pain d’รฉpices. And as with coq au vin, Boeuf bourguignon was originally a peasant dish.ย  The long cooking process in wine (a natural tenderizer), made cuts of beef that were otherwise too tough to swallow deliciously fork-tender.

The classic Boeuf Bourguignon that Julia Child made world famous is already incredibly delicious.ย  But we’re going to make a few adjustments in both technique and the addition of a “secret” ingredient that gives this dish a flavor boost that absolutely sends it over the edge.ย  We’re going to take a French method used for thickening gravies – make a very rich roux – and use it to thicken our stew.ย  And for an added flavor explosion we’re going to include one of my favorite “secret ingredients,” one that I love to add to sauces, gravies and stews: Ground dried porcini mushrooms. (Buy the dried mushrooms and then grind them yourself as needed to keep the flavor vibrant.)

If you enjoy a good beef stew (who doesn’t?) you really can’t beat this beef bourguignon.ย  It takes some prep and cooking time, but it’s beyond worth it!

beef bourguignon recipe best julia child french stew

Beef bourguignon is likely the richest tasting beef stew you’ve ever had. As Julia Child put it, beef bourguignon is “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.”ย  I couldn’t agree more.ย  Especially once you’ve implemented the roux technique and the addition of the porcini mushrooms.

Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Let’s get started!

Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven until done. ย Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. ย Leave the bacon fat in the pot. ย While the bacon is cooking, cut the meat into about 1 1/2 inch chunks. ย You want the chunks big because they’ll fall apart to some extent anyway from the long simmering. ย Cut the meat against the grain as shown below. ย This produces chunks that will be tender. ย Over medium-high, let the pot get nice and hot, then add the beef, a few chunks at a time so as not to overcrowd. ย Overcrowding will prevent the beef from browning, and that is absolutely KEY for flavor! ย Generously brown on both sides. ย Transfer the beef to a plate.

cooking onions and meat

Add the chopped onions to the Dutch oven and saute until golden. ย Add the garlic and cook for another minute. ย Pour in the wine and bring to a boil for a minute. ย Add the beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the browned bits. ย Add the seasonings (except for the black pepper), tomato paste, ground dried porcini mushrooms, and return the bacon and beef to the pot.

Close the lid and place on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 325 degrees F. ย Bake for 2 1/2 hours. ย You don’t need to check on it, just let it bake undisturbed.

adding garlic broth and seasonings

When the stew is nearly done, get started on the pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms.

A trick to peeling pearl onions is to bring a small pot of water to a boil and dump in the onions. ย Let them sit for 30 seconds then remove them. ย This way when you cut the ends of the onions, they’ll slip right out of their skins.ย  Don’t let them boil longer though or the outer layers of onion will come off with the skin.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms. ย Generously brown the veggies.

preparing pearl onions

Carefully take theย beef bourguignon out of the oven.ย  Words cannot even describe how rich in flavor this is! ย But hold on because we’re not done yet!

Pour the stew into a strainer over a bowl to drain that rich sauce.ย  Now we’re going to use that technique for thickening gravy by making a roux which will add an incredible amount of depth to our stew.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. ย Whisk in the flour, whisking constantlyย until the roux becomes a dark caramel color. ย Add the sauce you drained from the stew, increase the temperature, whisking until lightly thickened. Add the black pepper.

Pour the gravy back into the stew along with the vegetables. ย Close the lid and simmer on the stovetop for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors and soften the veggies. ย You don’t want them to be crunchy, but the carrots and onions need to remain a little firm to the bite.ย  That’s it, your stew is ready.ย  Now get ready to be blown away by the flavor!

making roux

Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with a sprig of thyme or some chopped parsley and serve immediately.ย  Some crusty bread makes the perfect accompaniment.

Enjoy!

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For more delicious French dishes be sure to try our:

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Ultimate Beef Bourguignon

The classic beef bourguignon gets a makeover with several flavor boosts that take this incredible stew over the edge! Satisfaction guaranteed!
5 from 76 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Entree, Main Course, Stew
Cuisine French
Servings 6 servings
Calories 682 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 6 ounces bacon , diced
  • 3 pounds beef chuck or eye of round , cut into 1-inch or larger cubes
  • 1 large yellow onion , chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 3 cups burgundy or other dry red wine (e.g. pinot noir)
  • 2 cups quality beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon ground dried porcini mushrooms (Buy the dried mushrooms and then grind them yourself as needed to keep the flavor vibrant)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • For the vegetables:
  • 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon oil for frying
  • 6 ounces pearl onions , peeled (see pictures in blog post for tip on removing peels)
  • 2 carrots , cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 6 ounces small button mushrooms , brushed clean and stems removed
  • For the roux:
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven until done. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to bowl.
    Working in batches add the beef, a few pieces at a time, browning generously on all sides. Transfer to the bacon and set aside.
    Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until golden, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
    Pour in the wine and bring to a rapid boil for one minute, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits). Add the beef broth, tomato paste, porcini mushrooms and seasonings. Return the beef and bacon to the Dutch oven. Cover and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
  • While the stew is cooking, prepare the vegetables: Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the pearl onions, mushrooms and carrots and give them a generous browning. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Carefully remove the pot from the oven and pour the contents through a sieve, collecting the gravy in a bowl. Place the stew chunks back in the Dutch oven.
    In a saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Whisk continually until the roux becomes a rich medium brown color. Pour in the gravy from the stew, whisking continually until the mixture lightly thickens and add the black pepper. Pour the gravy back into the Dutch oven along with the vegetables. On the stovetop, simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together and to further soften the vegetables. They should not be crunchy but should still be slightly firm to the bite. Add salt and pepper to taste.
    Serve immediately or the following day after the flavors have had more time to develop.

Nutrition

Calories: 682kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 50gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 768mgPotassium: 1219mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3710IUVitamin C: 6.1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 5.4mg
Keyword Beef Bourguignon, French Beef Stew
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 27, 2016

 

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




5 from 76 votes (65 ratings without comment)

88 Comments

  1. My previous comment should have been a 5 star not 4. It doesnโ€™t get much better than this!!! Absolutely amazing. This will be a staple!!!!

  2. It’s an incredible dish, rich in taste and has perfect aroma. You can’t go wrong with this meal on a Winter Night.

  3. Hum! looks good! I have done BB before but will want to try your recipe. You indicate: ‘to serve immediately’. Can this be make ahead of time before guests arrive and then just reheat it in the oven before dinner? How long to reheat if this is the case. Where do you buy dry porcini mushrooms ( I am not familiar with dry porcini mushrooms.). Is it the same as porcini mushrooms? Thanks!

    1. Hi Cecile, I added a note about that – yes, this is even more flavorful the next day after the flavors have had time meld. You can simply reheat it gently on the stovetop, or the oven if you prefer, until it’s heated through. In the list of ingredients I link to the dried porcini mushrooms (just click on the words in blue) so you can see what they are.

  4. The weather today really feels like summer is over- itโ€™s actually a downpour at the moment. Perfect Sunday to make this recipe. My family is coming down from Seattle today so Iโ€™ve already got this in the oven finishing cooking. Iโ€™ve made roasted garlic mashed potatoes to serve the stew over. Iโ€™m sure it will be a crowd pleaser! It already smells fantastic. Thank you for your recipe!

    1. We’re in the same neck of the woods, Erin, and I was thinking the same thing :( The weather forecast is looking up in a few days though and I’m looking forward to that. In the meantime I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more during this weather than the meal you’ve prepared – have a lovely family dinner!

  5. I am off of to the store to buy dried porcini mushrooms. I assume you can grind these yourself to make the powder? That is what I am going to try. I saw the powder on Amazon but it was in large quantities.

    1. Hi Sharon, absolutely! That’s what I do and it keeps the flavor more vibrant grinding them as needed. Thanks for mentioning that, I’ll add a note in the recipe.
      Happy cooking! :)

      1. This was excellent! I will use the techniques for other recipes – making a roux rather than just adding flour and water, using the ground mushrooms, browning the veg, cooking in oven rather on stove top. I think all of this made it great!

  6. This is a gorgeous looking dish of food and I look forward preparing it, although probably not until the next cold snap, which (here in Florida) may not occur until next year. It looks so rich and hearty, it’s certainly not hot weather food.

    1. Thanks, Jackie! We just had a record snow here in western WA – 21 inches! So I’m feeling envious of your Florida temps :)

  7. I love Beef Bourginon ( living in France how could I not) the things I would add to this is marinade the beef overnight with wine and a good glass of cognac and 10 crushed juniper berries. If you find the pearl onions fiddly try spring onions. Otherwise just love the whole recipe as I’ve never tried doing it in the oven before.

    1. Thanks for the tips, Pamela! Juniper berries are commonly used in traditional German (where I grew up) beef and game recipes as well. They’re virtually unknown in the U.S. which is unfortunate because they lend a really unique and excellent flavor.

  8. I have an old recipe for BB from this Betty Crocker Recipe Index set. I bought it at a yard sale back in the 80’s thinking it was “vintage” then. It is a very simplistic recipe. I have always found myself adding more garlic than was called for and have always needed to cook it far longer than was recommended in order to get the meat tender. That recipe does NOT include bacon. I have another recipe for BB from the Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith) from way back when, too. I have never made his recipe, though. The bacon seems like an important element here, but I am stuck trying to decide what type and brand of bacon would compliment the flavors of this dish. The other thing I noticed is that my old school recipe calls for marjoram and thyme. I only see thyme here. Now, I am so curious, I want to pack my things up and tell my boss I need to take off early for a mad case of “cooking hooky.” I won’t, but I want to! So, what type of bacon to choose? Trader Joes bacon pieces? Smithfield bacon? Sliced pork belly? Pancetta? Any recommendations for the burgundy? I have always leaned on (no lie) Ernest and Julio’s Hearty Burgundy. I don’t know what else to try! I am not up on wines/choosing a wine. I think I have used chianti in my meatballs and gravy because it goes well with pizza, but that leap was a no-brainer. …but other than that, uh, I don’t even know who to ask. Have you ever serve this over crusty hot buttered garlic rolls or hot crusty garlic buttered baguettes? Once I tried it that way, I don’t really want it any other way. I am a garlic hound and, maybe because my other recipe was missing some depth, I needed that element to round out the flavor and unctuousness? Have you ever tried this recipe with marjoram and thyme together? This was the first dish I ever had those two herb together. Add in the garlic, onions, and mushrooms and that’s a real party for my taste buds. So savory! Wine, bacon, and herb suggestions? How would you feel about more garlic? Would I be goofing up the balance of this dish?

    1. Hi Jennifer! A pinot noir is a great choice for beef bourguignon and most agree there’s no need to go with an expensive wine because its subtle flavors will be lost once cooked. Stick with something middle of the road. I love including bacon and the porcini mushrooms for the rounded flavor and umami depth. I love herbs and use them wherever and whenever I can but this stew has so much going on already that I tend to keep them limited here. The same would be true of how much garlic to use. The idea here is to complement, not to compete. That said, the only real “rule” of cooking is that YOU like it. So make any adjustments you like according to your preferences. I could totally go for scooping this stew up with a crusty baguette. I’ve also served it over creamy mashed potatoes. Happy cooking and eating! :)

      1. I always try recipes “as is” to appreciate the work that has been loved into them. I will, of course, follow your instructions the first time. Your red lentil soup was masterfully balanced, I still have that recipe and still love it. …but thank you for the Pinot Noir tip. I have to go check out the collection of wines my husband got for me to see if there is any of that in there. I feel a beef dish coming on.