Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon, a rustic French pot roast, is prepared low and slow in the oven. Tender chunks beef simmer in a luscious red wine sauce with lots of vegetables and just a hint of smoky bacon.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 433kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) boneless beef chuck roast (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces, see note 2)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup red wine (see note 3)
- 2 cups beef broth (see note 4)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 4 large carrots peeled and cut oblique
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms halved
- 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions (4 ounces, see note 5)
- Buttered egg noodles or rice or boiled potatoes, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper on all sides.
- In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, fry bacon until crisp. Transfer to a plate and crumble when cool. Reserve bacon fat for cooking beef and keep hot.
- Lay beef in a single layer in pot and fry in reserved bacon fat until well-browned on each side (work in batches if you have more than one roast). Transfer the beef to a plate.
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add beef broth, tomato paste, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced.
- Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add carrots, mushrooms, and frozen onions. Cover and bake for 3 and 1/2 hours, turning the beef in the pot every 30 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the vegetables over buttered noodles.
Notes
- Boneless beef chuck roast: A less expensive cut of beef that really shines with slow and low cooking. Shoulder roast or round roast is fine, too.
- Bacon: Just a few slices of bacon add wonderfully smoky flavor and provide just enough fat for browning the beef.
- Red wine: Bourguignon or "from Bourgogne" is usually made with a red Burgundy, aka Pinot Noir. I've also made this with Côtes du Rhône and a Beaujolais and it's always a hit. Buy what you like to drink. Or substitute more beef broth.
- Beef broth: I always keep a jar of “Better than Bouillon” beef base in the fridge, a paste which is similar to bullion cubes and you dissolve it in boiling water. It is widely available and tastes delicious. You can substitute chicken broth, too.
- Pearl onions: Frozen pearl onions are already peeled and ready to eat; that means less work for you.
- Yield: A 4-pound roast should make 12 servings of Beef Bourguignon as a meal.
- Make ahead: The flavor of Beef Bourguignon improves if you make it a day ahead. Let the dish cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, using more broth or a splash of wine. Or reheat in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours on HIGH.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes really well. Label, date, and enjoy within 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Browning the beef: If you run out of bacon grease while browning the meat, just add some olive oil to keep things going.
- Browning the vegetables: In Julia Childs' famous version of Boeuf Bourguignon, she browns the vegetables in the bacon fat after she browns the beef (before stirring in the garlic and deglazing the pan).
- Check the liquid in the pot: All Dutch ovens and ovens are different, so if the braising juices run low while baking, add a little extra wine or broth to keep things from drying out.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 433kcal