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French Beef Bourguignon Recipe

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4.5 from 14 reviews

French Beef Bourguignon is a classic, rich stew featuring tender chunks of beef braised in red wine and beef broth, infused with aromatic herbs, bacon or salt pork, and complemented by sautéed pearl onions and mushrooms. This comforting dish is perfect for a hearty dinner and pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Bacon/Salt Pork

  • 8 ounces bacon OR salt pork*
  • 3 pound chuck roast chopped into 2 inch pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • oil for searing beef and sautéing veggies
  • 1 tablespoon butter for coating beef with flour
  • 1/3 cup flour

Vegetables and Aromatics

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 pound carrots (about 7-8 medium), chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed and sliced

Liquids and Herbs

  • 3 cups red wine (750ml bottle)
  • 2-4 cups beef bone broth (such as Zoup! Good Really Good® Beef Bone Broth)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup parsley chopped
  • 6 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • rind from salt pork (if using)

Pearl Onion Garnish

  • 14 ounces frozen pearl onions
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Mushroom Garnish

  • 1 pound mushrooms halved or quartered
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Instructions

  1. Cook Bacon or Salt Pork: If using bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces and cook over medium heat in a large oven-safe pot until lightly cooked but not overdone. Remove and set aside, leaving all the grease in the pot. If using salt pork, remove rind and cook the pork strips in the pot over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside, leaving grease in the pot.
  2. Sear the Beef: Pat beef pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat bacon/salt pork grease over medium-high heat, adding olive oil if necessary to have at least 2 tablespoons of fat. In batches, sear beef on all sides without crowding the pot until well browned. Remove beef and set aside.
  3. Coat Beef with Flour: Return all seared beef to the pot, add cooked bacon or salt pork, add 1 tablespoon butter and let melt. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over beef and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat to remove raw flour taste, then turn off heat.
  4. Sauté Vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and carrots and cook 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. Add sliced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Remove veggies and set aside.
  5. Reduce Wine: In the same skillet, add 3 cups red wine and bring to a boil. Scrape browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon. Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook until liquid reduces by about 1 cup, approximately 10-15 minutes.
  6. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Simmer Stew on Stove: Pour reduced wine over beef in the pot. Add enough beef broth to almost cover the beef pieces. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping pot bottom to prevent burning. Stir in tomato paste, chopped parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and salt pork rind if using. Do not add carrots yet.
  8. Braise in Oven: Cover pot and place in lower third of the preheated oven. Cook covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  9. Add Carrots and Continue Braising: Remove pot from oven, stir in sautéed carrots and onion mixture. Cover again and return to oven for an additional 60-90 minutes until beef is very tender and can be broken apart easily.
  10. Prepare Pearl Onions: In the skillet used for wine reduction, add frozen pearl onions, 2 cups water, kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons butter. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until water evaporates. Sauté onions in remaining butter until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  11. Prepare Mushrooms: Clean and dry mushrooms thoroughly. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms in two batches for 4-5 minutes each until browned. Remove and set aside.
  12. Check Tenderness and Adjust Cooking Time: After minimum 2½ hours total oven time, test beef for tenderness; if not tender, return to oven for additional 20-40 minutes.
  13. Adjust Sauce Consistency: If sauce is too thin, strain meat and vegetables from pot into a bowl, return sauce to pot, and simmer on stovetop until thick and coats the back of a spoon. No need to strain if sauce is already thick.
  14. Finish and Serve: Remove thyme stems, bay leaves, and pork rind from stew. Stir in pearl onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Notes

  • Drying the beef before searing is crucial for proper browning and flavor development.
  • Cooking mushrooms in batches prevents steaming and helps them brown better.
  • Add carrots halfway through cooking to keep them firm and prevent mushiness.
  • If you prefer, use a good quality dry red wine suitable for cooking, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir.
  • Oven-safe enameled cast iron pots are ideal for this recipe to allow stovetop and oven cooking in one vessel.
  • The rind from salt pork adds extra flavor but can be omitted if using bacon.
  • You can substitute pearl onions with small white onions if frozen are unavailable.
  • Simmering the sauce after straining concentrates flavors and thickness, but is optional.

Find it online: https://yummelle.com/french-beef-bourguignon-recipe/