BETA
Classic Beef Bourguignon with Bacon, Mushrooms & Pearl Onions
Chunks of beef chuck browned hard, then braised low and slow in a whole bottle of Burgundy-style red wine with bacon, garlic, thyme and bay until spoon-tender, finished with butter-browned mushrooms and glossy pearl onions in a rich, velvety sauce.
240 minutes · Medium · 6 servings
Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested
Ingredients
- Boneless beef chuck roast (3 lb), cut into 5 cm / 2 in cubes1400 g
- Thick-cut bacon or pancetta lardons (6 oz)170 g
- Kosher salt, plus more to taste2 tsp
- Black pepper1 tsp
- Neutral oil2 tbsp
- Large yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)1 whole
- Carrots, cut into 2 cm / 3/4 in chunks2 whole
- Garlic, finely chopped4 clove
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- All-purpose flour (about 30 g)3 tbsp
- Dry red wine, Pinot Noir or Burgundy-style (one 750 ml bottle, about 3 cups)750 ml
- Low-sodium beef stock (2 cups)500 ml
- Fresh thyme6 sprig
- Bay leaves2 whole
- Cremini mushrooms, quartered (1 lb)450 g
- Pearl onions, frozen and thawed or fresh and peeled (10 oz)280 g
- Unsalted butter (3 tbsp)40 g
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (1/4 cup)10 g
Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.
Allergen notes
Wheat (flour), milk (butter) and sulphites (wine). Check stock and bacon labels for other allergens.
Method
Prep and season the beef
Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F) with a rack in the lower third. Trim any thick fat or sinew from the beef and cut it into 5 cm (2 in) cubes. Pat the cubes very dry with paper towels (wet meat steams instead of browning) and season all over with the 2 tsp salt and the pepper. Wash your hands, knife and board after handling the raw beef.
Render the bacon
Cut the bacon into 1 cm (1/2 in) strips. Put 1 tbsp of the oil and the bacon in a large (5.5–7 L / 6–7 qt) Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot with a lid, over medium heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the bacon is crisp and golden and has released its fat. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
Brown the beef in batches
Turn the heat to medium-high. Add a third of the beef in a single layer with space between the pieces and leave it alone for 3–4 minutes, until a deep brown crust forms, then turn and brown at least 2 more sides, 8–10 minutes per batch. Move each batch to a bowl and repeat, adding the remaining 1 tbsp oil if the pot looks dry. Do not crowd the pot: the dark crust and the brown bits on the bottom of the pot are where most of the flavour comes from. If the bottom starts to blacken, lower the heat slightly.
Cook the vegetables and tomato paste
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 6–8 minutes, scraping up the brown bits as the vegetables release moisture, until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato paste for 2 minutes, until it darkens to a brick red. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1–2 minutes so it coats everything and loses its raw taste.
Deglaze and assemble
Pour in about 250 ml (1 cup) of the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until it is clean. Add the rest of the wine and the stock, then return the beef with any juices from the bowl and half of the bacon. Tuck in the thyme and bay leaves. The liquid should come almost to the top of the meat; add a splash of water if it does not. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, stirring once.
Braise until fork-tender
Cover the pot and move it to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2–3 hours, checking at 2 hours and giving it a stir. It is done when a fork slides into a cube with no resistance and the meat breaks apart under gentle pressure from a spoon. If it still feels firm or springy, give it another 20–30 minutes and check again; tough cuts like chuck need time, not more heat. After hours at a simmer, the stew is far beyond any safe minimum temperature.
Brown the mushrooms and onions
During the last 30 minutes of braising, melt 20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them for 3 minutes, then stir and cook for 4–5 minutes more, until browned and any liquid has evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt and tip onto a plate. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet, add the pearl onions and cook for 6–8 minutes, shaking the pan, until golden in spots and tender when pierced. If using fresh onions, add 60 ml (1/4 cup) water or stock, cover for the first 5 minutes, then uncover and let them glaze.
Finish the sauce
Take the pot out of the oven and fish out the thyme stems and bay leaves. Tilt the pot and spoon off as much fat from the surface as you like. If the sauce is thin, set the pot over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring gently, until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the mushrooms, pearl onions and the rest of the bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
Scatter with the parsley and serve with buttery mashed potatoes, boiled new potatoes, buttered egg noodles or crusty bread to mop up the sauce, plus a sharp green salad on the side. A glass of the same style of red wine is the traditional match.
Bourguignon is even better the next day. Cool it, refrigerate within 2 hours and keep for up to 3 days, then lift off the solid fat and reheat gently until steaming hot, at least 74°C (165°F). Use a dry red you would happily drink; skip anything labelled cooking wine. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
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