Description
Hearty beef bourguignon from France combines tender meat, red wine, and aromatic herbs in a classic slow-cooked stew. Rich flavors meld together, creating a comforting dish you’ll savor with crusty bread and good company.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900g) beef chuck or stewing beef
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup pearl onions or small shallots
- 2 cups cremini or button mushrooms
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Meticulously pat beef dry with kitchen towels, ensuring surface moisture is eliminated for perfect caramelization and intense flavor development.
- Seasoning and Coating: Generously season beef with salt and pepper, then delicately dust with flour to create a sublime golden crust that seals in succulent juices.
- Searing Technique: Heat olive oil and butter in a robust cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat, creating a sizzling landscape for transforming meat’s exterior.
- Browning Process: Strategically arrange beef pieces in a single layer, allowing each cut to develop a rich, mahogany-colored crust without overcrowding the cooking surface.
- Flavor Foundation: Extract the deeply concentrated caramelized bits from the pan, preserving the intricate flavor profile that will elevate the entire culinary experience.
- Vegetable Integration: Gently introduce pearl onions, sliced mushrooms, and diced bacon into the same vessel, allowing them to absorb the residual meat essences and develop a profound aromatic base.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour red wine, beef broth, and tomato paste, creating a luxurious braising liquid that will tenderize the meat and marry all ingredients into a harmonious symphony of flavors.
- Slow Cooking Transformation: Cover and transfer the Dutch oven to a preheated 325°F oven, allowing the beef to slowly simmer and become meltingly tender over approximately 2-3 hours.
- Final Refinement: Uncover during the last 30 minutes of cooking to concentrate flavors and allow the sauce to reach a velvety, rich consistency that clings beautifully to the meat.
Notes
- Moisture Management: Blot beef cuts thoroughly with kitchen towels to remove excess water, ensuring perfect browning and preventing steaming instead of searing.
- Seasoning Strategy: Use kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper generously, then dust with a light flour coating to create a delectable golden crust and enhance flavor absorption.
- Searing Technique: Maintain medium-high heat with olive oil and butter in a heavy cast-iron pot, arranging meat in a single layer without overcrowding to achieve optimal caramelization.
- Flavor Foundation: Preserve the fond (browned bits) in the cooking vessel, as these concentrated drippings are crucial for developing deep, rich flavor complexity in the final dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Searing
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg