Beef bourguignon or bœuf bourguignon, also called beef Burgundy, and bœuf à la Bourguignonne, is a French beef stew braised in red wine, often red Burgundy, and beef stock, typically flavored with carrots, onions, garlic, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon.
Bourguignon is traditionally cooked slowly over low heat, allowing the flavors to meld together and the beef to become incredibly tender. It’s often served with crusty bread, mashed potatoes or noodles, making it a comforting and satisfying meal, specially during colder months.
The dish originates from Burgundy and combines two of the region’s top products which is red wine and Charolais beef. The white cattle, famous for their gentle temperament as well as tender meat, hail from the Charolles region of southern Burgundy and offer the perfect complement to the area’s rich red wine.
There are 320 calories per portion in this Beef Bourguignon recipe, which means it falls into the light recipe category. If you’re counting calories or following one of the healthy diet plans like Weight loss, this recipe fits in perfectly.
Ingredients
8 ounces thick-cut bacon chopped
3 pounds chuck roast, cut into large (2-inch) chunks (trim out the fats)
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 large carrot cut into long pieces
4 medium garlic cloves (whole)
1/2 cup Cognac or brandy
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups beef broth
2 cups red wine (full bodied)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
8 ounces pearl onions, about 1 and 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms about 3 and 1/4 cups
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Instruction
Trim the fat from the meat and cut into medium pieces and keep aside.
Cook the bacon in over medium-high heat, in a large Dutch oven, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the bacon to a plate leaving the fat in the pot. Remove the pot off the heat.
Pat dry the chuck roast with paper towels.
Season the meat with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and toss with 1/3 cup all-purpose flour to coat evenly.
Now heat the pot to medium-high heat. Add a handful of the beef to the pot, brushing off the excess flour as you work.
Don’t overcrowd the meat, making sure there is space in between each chunk. Let the meat cook for 3 minutes then flip it, and continue to brown the other side as well, for about 2 minutes.
Transfer the browned meat to the plate with the bacon.
Decrease the heat if the brown bits on the bottom of the pot begin to burn. Repeat for the remaining meat chunks.
Add onion and carrot into the pot, saute until the vegetables begin to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic cloves and keep stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Then add 1/2 cup Cognac or brandy, raise the heat to high, and boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and stir to combine.
Stir in 2 cups low-sodium beef broth and 2 cups dry red wine and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the browned beef, bacon, any remaining juices on the plate, thyme bay leaves and stir to combine.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and slide the pot into the preheated oven 325°F (163°C).
Bake until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours. You should be able to cleave a chunk of beef in half easily with a fork.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.
Add the onions to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the onions at the root end.The onions will pop out of their skins. Discard the skins.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and mushrooms, quartered and saute until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and sugar.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the onions are tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
Uncover and continue to simmer until the liquid is mostly evaporated and it becomes a syrupy glaze, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
When the beef is done, remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the pearl onions and mushrooms into the pot.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
Garnished with 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!!
Storage : Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
