Beef Bourguignon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should beef bourguignon be thick or thin? ›

Stews like boeuf bourguignon should ideally be thick and glossy enough that the liquid coats the back of a spoon, a process aided by collagen-rich cuts of meat and a long, slow simmer.

Chuck Roast.

Tough, marbled boneless chuck roast is the best cut of beef for beef Bourguignon.

Can you overcook beef bourguignon? Although this is a sturdy dish that can withstand hours of cooking, depending on the cut and size of the meat pieces, it is possible to overcook it as all the melting fat renders out of the meat, leaving it quite dry to bite into.

The finished stew is filled with tender chunks of meat and mushroom, along with plump onions and carrots and a deeply rich red-wine base. It's what Burgundy might taste like...if Burgundy had a land made of mushroom, pork, and onion, and rivers flowing with vin rouge.

If sauce is too thin after cooking, simmer uncovered in the slow cooker until reduced. You can also thicken sauce using 1 to 2 tablespoons flour; mix 1/4 cup sauce with flour in a small bowl until no lumps remain, then whisk into the slow cooker and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

Set aside until ready to serve. Once the beef is ready, remove the herb bouquet. Assemble a plate or shallow bowl with the meat, carrots, and sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions.

The main difference is that beef bourguignon uses a full bottle of red wine for the sauce, whereas beef stew calls for little to no wine. Additionally, beef bourguignon also typically includes bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

My beef Bourguignon tastes bitter

A good tip to try is adding a spoonful of redcurrant jelly or a little sugar to add a little sweetness.

As with all beef stews, this one is best made a day or two ahead; don't sauté the mushrooms and onions until just before serving. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master.

When it has just been cooked it should be clear of bacteria, leaving it to cool and then putting it in the fridge would be best but covering it and leaving it in a cool area overnight and the next day then thoroughly reheating it would not be a problem.

What do you serve with beef bourguignon? ›

The best side dishes to serve with Beef Bourguignon are mashed potatoes, mushroom risotto, grilled asparagus, jasmine rice, butternut squash, green beans almondine, polenta, garlic bread, roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli, roasted carrots, French baguette, sweet potato fries, and quinoa.

This is one recipe where you want to pour yourself a nice glass of wine, like our Diamond Mountain Cabernet or Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and take your time cooking it. Hearty and comforting, our beef bourguignon will warm you up on a cool autumn day.

The answer is probably not, unless you're trying really, really hard! All the experts we consulted on this subject agreed that it would be very difficult to eat enough boozy food to push your blood alcohol content (BAC) over the drink-drive limit.

If you can't find pearl onions or another diminutive variety, small shallots are better than nothing. Carrots are also common; the baby variety favoured by Eastwood and Roux make the most pleasing garnish aesthetically, but ordinary sized ones, cut into large chunks, work just as well in the flavour department.

Even the best home cook has stared down into a simmering pot of stew and realized it looked more like soup! Sure, a bowl of soup can be comforting, but a true stew in all its glory should be rich and thick in consistency.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

Once your stew is prepared and you're ready to thicken it up, mix in about 1/8 cup of instant mashed potatoes and stir well. Depending on your desired amount of liquid, add more instant mashed potatoes incrementally, making sure to not go overboard.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.