Easy recipe for a successful beef bourguignon

Brief history 

Le pot-au-feu : literally, the pot on the fire reminds by its name that we started the fire in the morning and that the pot, hanging in the chimney cooked for a long time what was inside. One often put in it what one found. Before the 19th century, it was more vegetables and a bit of bacon. Meat and wine were added as time went by and as the peasants became "richer". What has remained from that time is that the pot-au-feu is a dish that must be cooked for a long time and over a low heat and that allows a little addition, or improvisation.  In Burgundy, to the pot au feu, but a little on the same principle, one prefers the beef bourguignon by adding specialities of the region: the wine and the good Charolais meat...

The recipe 

Ingredients for 6 people 

• 1,3 kg of beef of which: 1/3 of fatty meat a little fatty (tendron), 1/3 of gelatinous meat (Macreuse, oxtail...) and 1/3 of meat little fatty (chuck or heel). It is important to have these three textures to have a tasty bourguignon. If not, take some collar.
• 250 grams of button mushrooms
• 200 grams of bacon
• 50 Centilitres of Burgundy wine (2/3 of a bottle). Take the good one. If it is bad, the sauce will be sour. Take a wine that you could drink without taking a great vintage. 
• 60 grams of butter
• 60 grams of flour (roughly 4 tablespoons)
• 50 centilitres of water (or beef stock if you have it)
• 3 carrots
• 2 large onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley and why not a little celery stick that you tie together with a string). 
• salt
• pepper

The process

Get a large casserole dish. Cast iron if possible. 

1. Start with the vegetables: peel the onions and chop them roughly. Then peel the carrots and cut them into thick slices. Remove the germ by crushing the garlic cloves. Slice the mushrooms. 
2. Cut your beef into cubes. They should be about 4 centimetres on a side. 
3. Flour them.
4. In the casserole, melt the 60 grams of butter.
5. Put your meat and after having let it seize a little without moving it, stir it to make it gild well.
6. Add a little salt. 
7. Mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add a little flour and mix well.
9. Add the red wine and mix again.
10. Add 50 centilitres of water. 
11. Add the bouquet garni.
12. and bring all this to the boil. 
13. Then, in a frying pan, you heat the lardons without adding fat. They are naturally fatty.
14. When they are browned, add the mushrooms that you also cook. 
15. Add the mushrooms and lardons mixture to the casserole.
16. Cook on medium heat for 2H30 3H00. 
17. 45 minutes before the end of the cooking: add the onions, garlic and carrots. 
18. Except a little before the meal, cook some potatoes in water, they will accompany your dish at the time to serve it. Put them in the pot 15 to 20 minutes before serving to keep them warm.  
19. Just before serving, remember to remove your bouquet garni. 

Tips 

To give your meat a better taste, you can marinate it the day before in the same red wine with the bouquet garni and orange zest. You can replace the potatoes with fresh pasta, it's delicious. You can also add one or two squares of dark chocolate in the casserole, it will make the sauce more shiny. 

With the leftovers, you can make a good cold salad with a little vinaigrette or by putting a little mustard on your plate. And you can also make a delicious parmentier if you have a lot of bourguignon left over. 

Excuse our translator, he hasn't changed his glasses for years, he may have made some mistakes by copying his grandmother's recipe

FAQ about Beef Bourguignon

What is Beef Bourguignon?

Beef Bourguignon is a traditional French stew made with beef slow-cooked in red wine, usually from Burgundy, along with onions, carrots, mushrooms, and bacon.

Why is it called “Bourguignon”?

The dish is named after the Burgundy region of France (Bourgogne in French), famous for its red wines, which are the key ingredient in the sauce.

How long does it take to cook Beef Bourguignon?

The stew is simmered slowly for about 2.5 to 3 hours, allowing the beef to become tender and the flavors to blend deeply.

What kind of beef is best for this dish?

Cuts suitable for slow cooking, such as chuck, brisket, or shin, are ideal because they become tender and flavorful during long simmering.

Do you need an expensive wine for Beef Bourguignon?

Not necessarily. The wine should be a decent red wine you would enjoy drinking, but it doesn’t need to be very expensive. A good Burgundy-style wine works perfectly.

Can Beef Bourguignon be made ahead of time?

Yes, it often tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have more time to develop. It’s a classic dish for preparing in advance.