Beef Bourguignon
Historically, the word bourguignon refers to anything cooked in red wine, particularly wine from Burgundy. One might imagine beef bourguignon began in a housewife’s kitchen as she stewed beef and vegetables in the local wine while tending to her daily chores. The dish earned international fame in the mid-20th century when Julia Child featured it in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, popularizing it in American kitchens.
Beef bourguignon became my son’s favorite dish after I delivered many frozen containers of the stew to his college apartment. And though French cooks might serve it over buttered noodles, Mitchel prefers his on top of Mom’s mashed potatoes.
Make sure to use a fatty beef that requires long cooking; you can find “stew meat” or my favorite, chuck roast, at most grocers. And although this recipe requires time and patience, like most aspects of parenting, its rewards outweigh the work.
Ingredients
Serves 8
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds beef roast (chuck or bottom sirloin), cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 bottle young Burgundy wine
1 cup beef broth
½ cup water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ pound pearl onions, peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Process
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the beef cubes and toss to coat.
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl and set aside. Add half the beef to the pot and cook until lightly browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to the bowl with the bacon and repeat with remaining beef.
Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the browned bits. Add the beef and bacon, then the water and thyme. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 2½ hours.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and boil for 10 minutes. Drain. Cut off the root ends, trim the stems, and slip off the skins. Transfer the onions to a bowl. In a medium skillet heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender, 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the pearl onions.
After the meat has cooked for 2½ hours, add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Serve over mashed potatoes or hot noodles and garnish with the parsley.
