Beef Bourguignon Recipe: 5 Tips for Making Beef Bourguignon
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Feb 22, 2025 • 4 min read
Rest assured that the hefty cooking time of this renowned stew is well worth it: Cooking the meat low and slow results in deeply rendered flavor and a melty, gorgeous texture.
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What Is Beef Bourguignon?
Beef bourguignon, also known as boeuf bourguignon or bœuf à la Bourguignonne, is a French beef stew, featuring pieces of beef and veggies like carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms braised in a red wine sauce until deeply tender. The stew is typically served as a main course—either as a standalone dish or ladled over mashed potatoes or noodles.
Beef bourguignon is a relatively modern entry in French cuisine, only appearing sometime in the nineteenth century. Thanks to its initial reputation as a vehicle for the undesirable leftover cuts of beef, it wasn’t until the twentieth century that beef bourguignon became a popular item on bistro menus.
Home cooks began adopting the dish into their cooking repertoire thanks to Julia Child’s treasured recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The recipe was adapted to feature chunks of stewing beef rather than the ambitious whole piece of beef favored by legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier, the inventor of the kitchen brigade system.
What Is the Best Meat to Use for Beef Bourguignon?
Beef bourguignon typically features both pork—in the form of lardons, small strips of fatty, thick-cut bacon—and stewing beef, usually beef chuck diced into 2-inch cubes, though any lean cut (like brisket) is acceptable.
5 Tips for Making Beef Bourguignon
Beef bourguignon is built from simple ingredients—it’s a matter of choosing and using the right ones in the right order.
- 1. Choose the best available pork option. If you can’t find traditional lardons at your meat counter, either thick-cut bacon cut into small pieces or pancetta will also work. The key is the fat: The pork is used to lay the foundation of flavor for searing the beef, so avoid the thin slices used to make crispy, diner-style bacon if you can.
- 2. Wine selection is key. Beef bourguignon is made with a Burgundy-style wine, usually a pinot noir, but most reds will work. Try to choose a wine with tannins to keep the stew bright and hearty; a soft merlot will only disappear against the more robust flavors in the pot.
- 3. Ask your butcher for stewing meat. Beef chuck is typically available in pre-cut cubes, but if you’re purchasing a whole piece, ask the butcher to cube it to save time and effort at home.
- 4. Adjust the cooking time. Beef bourguignon is traditionally started on the stovetop and finished in the oven, but you can also make it in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.
- 5. Use a bouquet garni. A bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs used to infuse flavor into braises and sauces, allowing you to easily remove the packet of aromatics once their flavor has dissipated. A traditional bouquet garni is composed of fresh parsley, fresh thyme sprigs, and dried bay leaf.
Beef Bourguignon Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
3 hrcook time
2 hr 40 minIngredients
- 1
Season the beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or, if planning ahead, in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours.
- 2
In a large Dutch oven over low heat, cook the lardons until they are crisp and the fat has rendered, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels.
- 3
While the lardons cook, tie the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf together with a bit of kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni.
- 4
Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches, sear the beef in the rendered fat, searing on all sides until crisp and browned. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and lower the heat.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- 6
Add the yellow onion and carrot to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until just beginning to soften.
- 7
Add the garlic and tomato sauce or paste, and stir. Add the flour or cornstarch, and mix until incorporated. Add the wine, beef stock, and bouquet garni and stir with a wooden spoon, incorporating all the fond at the bottom of the pot.
- 8
Add the beef and lardons back into the pot. Cover, and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
- 9
When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, and the mushrooms are crisp for about 15 minutes.
- 10
Remove the stew from the oven. Remove the bouquet garni, and top the stew with seared vegetables to serve. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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