Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon is a French braise of beef chuck simmered in red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and glossy. The long, slow cooking transforms tough cuts into fork-tender meat while the wine reduces into a deep, savory glaze.

Ingredients for Boeuf Bourguignon

Beef chuck is the right cut for braising because its marbling melts into the sauce and keeps the meat moist through hours of cooking. Bacon adds a smoky base flavor that anchors the whole dish. Pearl onions and mushrooms braise alongside the beef and become part of the sauce. Tomato paste deepens the color and adds umami without making the stew taste like tomatoes. Red wine is the braising liquid and becomes the sauce, so use something you would drink. Beef broth fills out the liquid and balances the wine. Garlic, thyme, and bay leaf season it throughout cooking. Flour browns with the meat and thickens the sauce. Butter enriches the final sauce and helps brown the mushrooms and onions. Salt and black pepper season at each stage.

Why This Boeuf Bourguignon Works

Browning the beef in batches builds a deep, savory crust that flavors the whole braise. The bacon fat and butter create a fond in the pan that dissolves into the wine and becomes the base of the sauce. Flour dusted on the meat before browning thickens the liquid and helps it cling to the beef.

Low heat and a covered pot keep the meat from drying out over three hours. The wine and broth stay below a simmer so the meat cooks gently and stays tender. Beef chuck has enough fat and connective tissue to become silky rather than stringy.

Pearl onions and mushrooms added partway through stay intact and firm rather than falling apart. The final sauce clings to the beef and vegetables because the flour and the collagen from the meat create a light, glossy coating.

Mistakes To Avoid

Crowding the pan when you brown the beef makes it steam instead of brown. The meat will be gray and pale, and the sauce will taste thin and meaty rather than rich. Brown in two batches, even if it takes longer.

Boiling the stew instead of keeping it at a bare simmer makes the meat tough and stringy. The surface will look like it’s bubbling hard, and the meat will shred when you try to cut it. Keep the heat low enough that only small bubbles break the surface.

Adding the pearl onions and mushrooms at the start makes them fall apart by the end. They will dissolve into the sauce and leave behind broken pieces instead of whole vegetables. Add them only in the last hour of cooking.

Using cheap or undrinkable wine makes the stew taste sour and harsh. The wine reduces and concentrates, so its flavor matters more than in other dishes. Choose a wine you would drink on its own.

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Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24g)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound pearl onions, peeled
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter (43g), divided

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until crisp. Transfer to paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Toss with salt, pepper, and flour until coated. Working in two batches, brown the beef in the bacon fat over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per batch until deep brown on all sides. Transfer to the Dutch oven.
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir for 1 minute over medium heat until the paste darkens slightly. Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned bits, and bring to a simmer.
4. Pour the wine mixture into the Dutch oven with the beef. Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, and cooked bacon. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to a 325°F (163°C) oven for 2 hours.
5. After 2 hours, stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms. Cover and return to the oven for 1 hour more until the beef is fork-tender when pierced and the onions are soft.
6. Remove from the oven. Check the beef temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest piece away from bone or fat; it should read 190°F (88°C) or higher for tenderness.
7. In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon butter and the remaining mushrooms. Set aside for garnish.
8. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, pressing the solids gently to extract liquid. Discard the bay leaves. Simmer the liquid over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until it reduces by about one-third and coats the back of a spoon.
9. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon flour to make a paste. Whisk into the simmering sauce 1 teaspoon at a time until it thickens lightly and coats the beef. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
10. Return the beef, onions, and the reserved sautéed mushrooms to the Dutch oven and pour the sauce over them. Serve hot from the pot.