Burgundy Beef Stew: A Classic French Dish

Beef bourguignon is a French beef stew that's made by slow cooking beef in red wine, onions, mushrooms, and bacon in a rich gravy. The meat is cooked until it's tender and the gravy thickens to coat it. The dish is traditionally named after the Burgundy region of France, where it originated.

Beef BourguignonPhoto byIna Garten - Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon:

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces good bacon, diced
• 2 1⁄2 pounds beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1⁄2 cup Cognac or good brandy
• 1 (750-ml) bottle good dry red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 to 2 1⁄2 cups canned beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen small whole onions
• 1 pound mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread, toasted or grilled
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

How to Make this Recipe:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 250 degrees.
2. In a big Dutch oven, like a Le Creuset, heat up some olive oil. Toss in the bacon and let it cook on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally until it’s nice and lightly browned. Once done, scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon and set it on a plate.
3. Next, take your beef cubes and pat them dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper. In batches, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning them to get a nice brown on all sides. Once browned, move the beef to the plate with the bacon and keep searing until all the beef is done. Set it aside.
4. Add in the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of pepper into the leftover fat in the pan. Cook this over medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and let it cook for another minute. Pour in the Cognac, step back, and carefully ignite it to burn off the alcohol. Return the meat and bacon to the pot along with any juices from the plate. Pour in the wine and enough beef broth to nearly cover the meat. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme. Bring it to a boil, cover it tightly, and pop it in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until everything is super tender when you poke it with a fork. Once it’s done, take it out and set it on the stove.
5. Mix 2 tablespoons of butter with the flour using a fork and stir it into the stew. Add in the frozen onions. In a separate pan, sauté the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they’re lightly browned, then add them to the stew. Bring the stew back to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Season it to your liking.
6. Lastly, rub one side of each slice of bread with garlic and either serve it on the side or ladle the stew over the bread. Top it off with some parsley.

RECIPE NOTES:

Skip washing the mushrooms; just give them a good brush to clean them up.

If your sauce is a bit runny, toss in some extra butter and flour mix.

You can prep ahead by cooking the stew and storing it in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, just warm it up on low until it’s simmering, and enjoy it with some bread and parsley.

This Recipe was created by Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa.