Recipe
Boeuf bourguignon
The king of French braises - beef chuck cooked low and slow in red wine until spoon-tender, finished with lardons, pearl onions and mushrooms. Plan an afternoon; the pot does the work.
Boeuf bourguignon takes about 230 minutes and makes 6 servings. Each serving has 900 kcal.
- Preparation
- 40 minutes
- Cooking
- 190 minutes
- Total time
- 230 minutes
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 900 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 60 g
Ingredients
- Beef (round or chuck)1.5 kg
- Bacon lardons200 g
- Dry red wine750 ml
- Beef stock500 ml
- Pearl onions300 g
- Button mushrooms400 g
- Carrot2 pcs
- Red onion1 pc
- Garlic3 cloves
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- All-purpose flour3 tbsp
- Butter40 g
- Olive oil2 tbsp
- Bay leaf2 pcs
- Thyme and rosemary1 tsp
- Salt1 pinch
- Pepper1 pinch
Instructions
- 1
Cut the beef into 4–5 cm cubes, pat them completely dry with paper towels and season with salt.
- 2
In a heavy casserole, render the lardons over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes; remove and set aside.
- 3
Raise the heat, add the oil and brown the beef in small batches, 4–5 minutes per batch, building a dark crust on all sides.
Tip: Dry meat and an uncrowded pot are the two commandments - wet cubes steam gray, and a crowded pan drops the temperature. Brown in batches, however long it takes; that crust is the backbone of the sauce.
- 4
Lower the heat and soften the diced onion and carrots in the same pot for about 5 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for a minute, return the beef and lardons, sprinkle with the flour and stir for two more minutes.
- 6
Pour in the wine and enough stock to barely cover the meat, add the bay leaves and thyme, and bring to the gentlest simmer.
- 7
Cover and braise in a 150 °C oven, or over the lowest flame, for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the beef yields to a fork.
Tip: The braise must barely tremble, never boil - hard boiling squeezes the meat dry and stringy. One lazy bubble every second is exactly right.
- 8
Towards the end, brown the pearl onions in half the butter for about 8 minutes.
- 9
Sauté the mushrooms in the remaining butter until golden, about 5 minutes.
- 10
Stir the onions and mushrooms into the pot and simmer everything together, uncovered, for a final 15 minutes.
- 11
Skim the fat from the surface, season, and rest for 10 minutes before serving with mashed potatoes or bread.
Cooking methods
On the stove
Brown over medium-high heat in a cast-iron casserole, then braise over the smallest flame your stove offers, lid on - the surface should barely move. On gas, slide a heat diffuser underneath if the bottom scorches; the alternative is a 150 °C oven, which is steadier.
On induction
Brown on level 7–8 of 9, then braise on level 2 - induction excels at holding this whisper of a simmer for hours. If your hob has a keep-warm program around 90–95 °C, it is perfect for the long braise.
Over an open fire
A Dutch oven classic: brown over strong embers, then braise over a thin, patient bed of coals with a few on the lid, feeding the fire every 20–30 minutes. Keep the pot hanging or raised so the braise trembles rather than boils.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 230 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 6 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Brown on level 7–8 of 9, then braise on level 2 - induction excels at holding this whisper of a simmer for hours. If your hob has a keep-warm program around 90–95 °C, it is perfect for the long braise.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. A Dutch oven classic: brown over strong embers, then braise over a thin, patient bed of coals with a few on the lid, feeding the fire every 20–30 minutes. Keep the pot hanging or raised so the braise trembles rather than boils.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
