Beef Bourguignon
Boeuf Bourguignon is one of the crowning achievements of French gastronomy—a slow-simmered beef stew where well-marbled chuck is patiently braised in full-bodied red Burgundy wine with lardons, garlic, carrots, and bouquet garni until fork-tender, then finished with glazed pearl onions and browned mushrooms.
The foundation of a great Bourguignon is drying the beef pieces completely before searing them in hot rendered bacon fat to create deep Maillard browning. The pan is deglazed with red wine, scraping up all browned bits, then gently braised at a bare simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours so collagen breaks down into a luxurious, glossy sauce without stringiness.
Serve warm in wide, shallow bowls accompanied by buttered egg noodles, boiled fingerling potatoes, or a fresh crusty French baguette to sop up the velvet wine gravy.
If you appreciate classic French dishes, you may also enjoy exploring our authentic Steak Diane.
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Ingredients
- Goose Fat3 tsp
- Beef Shin600g
- Bacon100g
- Challots350g
- Chestnut Mushroom250g
- Garlic Clove2 sliced
- Bouquet Garni1
- Tomato Puree1 tbs
- Red Wine750 ml
- Celeriac600g
- Olive Oil2 tbs
- Thymesprigs of fresh
- Rosemarysprigs of fresh
- Bay Leaf2
- Cardamom4
Step-by-Step Instructions
25 stepsInteractive Cook Mode: Click any step or circle to check it off as you cook.
Heat a large casserole pan and add 1 tbsp goose fat.
Season the beef and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 mins, then turn over and fry the other side until the meat is browned all over, adding more fat if necessary.
Do this in 2-3 batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned.
In the same pan, fry the bacon, shallots or pearl onions, mushrooms, garlic and bouquet garni until lightly browned.
Mix in the tomato purée and cook for a few mins, stirring into the mixture.
This enriches the bourguignon and makes a great base for the stew.
Then return the beef and any drained juices to the pan and stir through.
Pour over the wine and about 100ml water so the meat bobs up from the liquid, but isn’t completely covered.
Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan – this will give the stew more flavour.
Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
Make a cartouche: tear off a square of foil slightly larger than the casserole, arrange it in the pan so it covers the top of the stew and trim away any excess foil.
Then cook for 3 hrs.
If the sauce looks watery, remove the beef and veg with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
Cook the sauce over a high heat for a few mins until the sauce has thickened a little, then return the beef and vegetables to the pan.
To make the celeriac mash, peel the celeriac and cut into cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
Tip in the celeriac and fry for 5 mins until it turns golden.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Stir in the rosemary, thyme, bay and cardamom pods, then pour over 200ml water, enough to nearly cover the celeriac.
Turn the heat to low, partially cover the pan and leave to simmer for 25-30 mins.
After 25-30 mins, the celeriac should be soft and most of the water will have evaporated.
Drain away any remaining water, then remove the herb sprigs, bay and cardamom pods.
Lightly crush with a potato masher, then finish with a glug of olive oil and season to taste.
Spoon the beef bourguignon into serving bowls and place a large spoonful of the celeriac mash on top.
Garnish with one of the bay leaves, if you like.
👨🍳 Chef's Culinary Notes
Cultural Heritage
Hailing from the Burgundy region of eastern France, this dish began as hearty peasant sustenance using tough cuts of local Charolais beef and regional red wine. It was later codified into haute cuisine by legendary chef Auguste Escoffier in 1903.
Dietary Substitutions
Use any dry, tannic red wine such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Côtes du Rhône. For non-alcoholic cooking, substitute the wine with rich beef bone broth mixed with two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and pomegranate molasses.
Chef Technique Tips
Always brown the mushrooms and pearl onions separately in butter at the end and fold them in during the final 15 minutes. Simmering them for the entire 3 hours would make the mushrooms mushy and break apart the delicate onions.
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