Equipment
Ingredients
Stew Base
- 680 g stewing beef, cut into 2.5cm pieces
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 75 g carrot, peeled and cut into thin rounds
- 100 g onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic, peeled and crushed
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 g flour
- 750 ml red wine
- 1 bouquet garni, tied with kitchen string
Garnish and Finish
- 285 g white pearl onions
- 475 ml water
- 40 g sugar
- 15 g butter
- 115 g bacon, sliced
- 285 g mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed
- noodles
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 724 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Sodium
- 1883 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 68 mg
- Potassium
- 1209 mg
- Calcium
- 120 mg
- Iron
- 15.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 83 mg
- Phosphorus
- 446 mg
- Zinc
- 4.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 206 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 3.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 15 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.45 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.45 mg
- Niacin
- 8.1 mg
- Folate
- 76 mcg
- Water
- 544 g
- Alcohol
- 20 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
Pat the beef dry with paper towels to ensure proper browning.
Heat 15ml vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the beef in batches until colored on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the sliced carrots and onions to the remaining fat in the Dutch oven. Sauté until golden brown.
Stir in the crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
Return the beef to the pot. Gradually stir in the red wine and add the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and bake in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 1 hour.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F). Bake for another 45-60 minutes until the beef is tender. Add a small amount of water if the liquid drops below the meat level.
While the beef braises, boil the pearl onions in a small saucepan of water for 1 minute.
Drain the onions and rinse with cold water. Snip off the tops with kitchen scissors and peel off the skins.
Simmer the peeled onions in the saucepan with 475ml water, sugar, and butter until the liquid evaporates and the onions are glazed.
Fry the bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside.
Brown the mushrooms in the bacon drippings in the same skillet. Set aside with the bacon.
Remove the bouquet garni from the stew. If the sauce is too thin, strain the liquid into a pot and boil until it reaches a coating consistency.
Combine the beef, glazed onions, bacon, and mushrooms in the Dutch oven. Pour the sauce over them and heat through before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using a full-bodied red wine like Côtes du Rhône or Burgundy is essential for the characteristic deep flavor.
- For the best results, prepare the stew one day in advance to allow the flavors to mature.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavor improves after 24 hours.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in airtight containers.
Reheating: Simmer gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
The beef is tough after the suggested cooking time.
Cause: The connective tissue in the stewing beef has not yet broken down.
Fix: Continue braising at 150°C (300°F) in 20-minute increments until tender.
Prevention: Ensure the oven temperature remains consistent and the pot is tightly sealed.
The sauce is watery and lacks flavor.
Cause: The cooking liquid was not reduced sufficiently at the end of the process.
Fix: Simmer the entire stew uncovered for 10-15 minutes to evaporate excess moisture.
Prevention: Boil the strained liquid separately until it thickens before recombining.
Cultural Context
Beef Bourguignon is a foundational dish of French Burgundian cuisine, originally a peasant meal that utilized slow-cooking to tenderize tough cuts of meat.
