This French Beef Stew Is the Definition of Cozy

3 weeks ago

Ultra-tender chunks of beef, seared vegetables, and a rich, velvety reddish vino condiment make this French stew ultra-cozy.

Serves4 to 6

Prep20 minutes to 25 minutes

Cook2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours

We independently prime these products—if you bargain from 1 of our links, we whitethorn gain a commission. All prices were meticulous astatine nan clip of publishing.

Overhead changeable of beef bourguignon successful a achromatic pot.

The scent of beef bourguignon simmering successful your oven is thing short of intoxicating. It’s capable to make you autumn successful emotion pinch this French stew agelong earlier you moreover return a bite.

I first made beef bourguignon complete a decade agone erstwhile I was successful culinary school, and backmost past I made it galore times over, arsenic a intends of nailing nan techniques of searing past stewing nan meat, and making a profoundly flavorful, well-seasoned sauce. This look is inspired by nan classical 1 that I learned successful school, but pinch a fewer tweaks to make it arsenic straightforward arsenic imaginable for location cooks. The last consequence is simply a flavorful stew of ultra-tender chunks of beef and seared vegetables successful a rich, velvety reddish vino sauce.

What Is Beef Bourguignon?

Beef bourguignon, aliases beef Burgundy, is simply a classical French beef stew made pinch onions (regular and pearl onions), carrots, mushrooms, and herbs, and simmered successful a condiment of reddish vino and beef broth. It’s conscionable arsenic overmuch astir nan impossibly tender chunks of beef arsenic it is nan profoundly flavored sauce.

Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

What Cut of Meat Is Best for Beef Bourguignon?

Boneless beef chuck roast is nan champion cut of beef to usage for beef bourguignon. It’s a tough, inexpensive trim that benefits from a lengthy cooking time. Start pinch nan afloat roast alternatively than pre-cut cubes of chuck roast aliases stew meat, which are often trim irregularly and are smaller than is perfect for this recipe. Here, nan beef is seared connected nan stovetop and past simmered for respective hours successful nan oven until it’s incredibly tender and falls isolated astatine nan touch of a fork.

What’s nan Difference Between Beef Bourguignon and Beef Stew?

From nan constituent database to nan cooking process, location are a batch of similarities betwixt these 2 cozy stewed beef dishes. The main quality is that beef bourguignon uses a afloat vessel of reddish vino for nan sauce, whereas beef stew calls for small to nary wine. Additionally, beef bourguignon besides typically includes bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

Ingredients successful Beef Bourguignon

Thick-cut bacon. To maximize flavor, nan fat gets rendered, past nan beef gets seared successful nan bacon fat.
Boneless beef chuck roast. This trim is flavorful, and aft a lengthy navigator clip becomes positively tender. If nan roast has immoderate ample pieces of fat connected nan outside, it’s adjuvant to trim disconnected earlier searing nan beef.
All-purpose flour. A mates of spoonfuls activity to thicken nan stew conscionable capable truthful nan condiment is lush and velvety.
Dry reddish wine. Pinot noir, cabernet, aliases merlot are each bully choices present — you’ll usage nan full vessel for this recipe. You don’t request to usage thing pricey, but I counsel against grabbing nan cheapest vessel of vino connected nan shelf. Instead, take a vino that you’d besides bask drinking.
Low-sodium beef broth. Along pinch wine, nan broth makes up nan rich, savory sauce.
Pearl onions. Take your prime betwixt caller aliases frozen, arsenic some activity good here. When utilizing fresh, I urge grabbing a package of trimmed pearl onions to minimize prep work.
Cremini mushrooms. No request to trim nan stems. Just 4th nan mushrooms, past sear successful melted food until heavy brownish each over.

Ultra-tender chunks of beef, seared vegetables, and a rich, velvety reddish vino condiment make this French stew ultra-cozy.

Ingredients

1
large yellowish onion
1
medium carrot
3
cloves garlic
8 ounces
thick-cut bacon (5 to 6 slices)
1
(3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
3 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided, positive much arsenic needed
3/4 teaspoon
freshly crushed achromatic pepper, divided, positive much arsenic needed
1 tablespoon
tomato paste
3 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
1
(750-milliliter) vessel barren reddish wine
1 cup
low-sodium beef broth
5
sprigs caller thyme
2
dried bay leaves
8 ounces
pearl bulb (about 25), not thawed if frozen
8 ounces
cremini mushrooms
3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Chopped caller parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Arrange a rack successful nan little 3rd of nan oven and power nan oven to 350℉.
Dice 1 ample yellowish bulb (about 2 cups). Peel and trim 1 mean carrot crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (about 1/3 cup). Mince 3 ail cloves.
Cut 8 ounces thick-cut bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place successful a Dutch oven aliases different ample heavy-bottomed oven-safe cookware pinch a tight-fitting lid. Cook complete mean heat, stirring occasionally, until nan fat is rendered and nan bacon is browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, trim immoderate excess fat from 1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, past trim into unsmooth 2-inch cubes. Pat barren pinch insubstantial towels and play each complete pinch 2 teaspoons of nan kosher brackish and 1/2 spoon of nan achromatic pepper.
When nan bacon is ready, usage a slotted spoon to transportation to a ample vessel aliases plate.
Add half of nan beef to nan cookware successful a azygous furniture and navigator until browned connected each sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to transportation to nan vessel aliases sheet pinch nan bacon. Repeat pinch browning nan remaining beef and transferring to nan plate. The beef will not beryllium cooked through.
Add nan bulb and carrot to nan cookware and cook, stirring occasionally, until nan bulb is softened, astir 3 minutes. Add nan ail and navigator until fragrant, astir 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoonful herb paste and operation to overgarment nan vegetables. Cook until darkened successful color, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle pinch 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Stir to overgarment and navigator for 1 infinitesimal to navigator nan floury sensation out.
Add 1 (750-ml) vessel barren reddish vino and scrape up immoderate browned bits from nan bottommost of nan cookware pinch a woody spoon. Add 1 cup low-sodium beef broth, 5 caller thyme sprigs, 2 dried bay leaves, and 1/2 spoon of nan kosher salt. Return nan beef, bacon, and immoderate accumulated juices to nan cookware and operation to combine. Increase nan power to mean precocious and bring to a simmer.
Cover nan cookware and transportation to nan oven. Cook until nan beef is very tender, astir 2 hours. About 30 minutes earlier nan beef is ready, trim and peel 8 ounces pearl onions if needed, and 4th 8 ounces cremini mushrooms.
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted food successful a ample skillet complete mean heat. Add nan onions, mushrooms, remaining 1/2 spoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/4 spoon achromatic pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned each over, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add nan cooked onions and mushrooms to nan cookware and operation to combine. Remove and discard nan bay leaves and thyme stems. Taste and play pinch much kosher brackish and achromatic capsicum arsenic needed. Garnish pinch chopped caller parsley leaves if desired.