Boeuf Bourguignon is a great classic French dish known for its deep rich sauce. It was a staple in earlier years in regular households, as a peasant dish. In the 60’s, it was slowly refined and popularized into haute cuisine, a favorite menu in bistros and a main course in dinner buffets. Carefully done and perfectly flavoured, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes created by man.
See Recipe.

It is best to cook Boeuf Bourguignon the day before serving as it only gains more flavour when reheated. Beef is braised and stewed for 5 hours (or longer) in young, full-bodied, dry red wine and beef stock. It is generally flavoured with garlic, onions and herbs tied in a bouquet and seasoned well with salt and pepper. Bacon is usually larded to keep the beef moist while cooking and to add a smoky and savory taste. Carrots and mushrooms are added for more enticing color and texture. This dish is best served over mashed potatoes.

For my third recipe challenge, Boeuf Bourguignon was the perfect choice. I felt that this called for an old-fashioned cook’s craft, and that my abilities and resources will be greatly tested by perfecting this recipe. Also I felt that through this recipe, it would be made very evident that learning French cuisine is serious business.

I started preparing this dish on a Friday night and then finished cooking the next morning. I served it for dinner with a special guest, a dear friend from the French community. Who could be a better critic than a Frenchwoman herself?

The better the meat, the better the stew. Picking the right cut is utterly important as it is the feature of this dish. I chose bottom round for this dish, for it is lean, not too tender, and even if stewed for long hours, it still retains its moisture, flavour and texture. These cuts tend to have more connective tissue that break down while cooking, making the meat more tender and flavourful. I cut the meat in cubes (about 2 inches thick), removed the meat fat, washed and pat-dried with a clean kitchen towel and then placed the meat in a clean bowl.

I blanched bacon in a nonstick pan to render and give off enough fat to fry with. I then removed the bacon, now lardoons, placed them in a bowl and set it aside. Lardoons are frequently used in French cuisine. The fat rendered from the cubed pork is good for sautéing vegetables or meat during the early stages of a recipe, and the crisp browned pork cubes can be added as a garnish or ingredient just before serving. Lardoons are usually a chef’s secret ingredient.

In the same pan, I threw beef cubes in, a few pieces at a time. I sautéed until the cubes were nicely browned on all sides, using rendered fat from bacon and olive oil. Then I removed the browned beef from the pan and put them into the bowl with lardoons and set this aside.

In the same fat and pan, I browned cubed carrots and diced onions. I poured out excess fat before I returned the meat and lardoons back to the pan. Then I tossed in salt, pepper and flour to lightly coat the meat. Everything was cooked until the flour turned the meat brown with a light crust. I turned the meat and vegetables once while cooking.

When done, I placed the meat and vegetables into a casserole. I deglazed the pan with red wine, pouring it into the casserole along with the beef stock, almost to cover the meat and vegetables. To deglaze is when liquid is added to the pan to loosen and dissolve brown bits and pan drippings that are left after pan-frying or basting. This extracts all the flavor possible from the cooking process. Deglazing liquids are usually broths, marinades, or wine. Deglazing is the first step when cooking many sauces.

I stirred in the tomato paste and added the herb bouquet. Brought to a simmer and covered. Heat was regulated so that liquid simmered very slowly for 3 hours. To make herb bouquet for flavouring is simple. Tie up fresh herbs with sprig or leaf together with a string. If herbs are dried, they are wrapped in a clean cheesecloth and tied.  A small herb bouquet usually contains 2 sprigs parsley, 1/3 of a bay leaf and a sprig or 1/8 teaspoon of thyme.

It was worth checking the meat every hour and if the level of liquid has dropped, I added a little beef stock and red wine. I could tell that the meat was almost done when it started to slightly break when I gently pierced it with a fork, after about 4 hours of stewing. Since I was to serve this dish the next day, I removed the casserole from the heat, kept it covered, let it cool down and then put it in the fridge.

The next day, I prepared the shallots and mushrooms (shallots were used as a substitute for pearl onions).  I heated a teaspoon of oil and stirred butter in a skillet, added the shallots and sautéed them over moderate heat, gently rolling them until evenly browned. I added some leftover stock, salt and pepper and the same herb bouquet used in the stew. I covered it and let it simmer slowly, until the shallots were tender, and the liquid had evaporated. Then I removed the herb bouquet and set the shallots aside. In the same skillet, I heated the remaining oil and butter over high heat and added the mushrooms, tossing them until slightly brown. The secret to sautéed mushrooms is to not crowd them in the skillet. Then I removed from heat.

I reheated the casserole from the fridge very slowly for 30 minutes, then poured the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a small saucepan. I simmered the sauce for 2 minutes in the saucepan, allowing the sauce to reduce gently, to give a rich finish to this dish. I then seasoned carefully with salt and pepper.

Finally, I poured the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the casserole, added in the shallots and mushrooms, and covered and simmered for another 2 minutes, gently basting the meat and vegetables with sauce.

I served it on a simple stew platter for dinner. We enjoyed by savouring every bite of this sumptuous dish over mashed potatoes, garnished with parsley on a fairly large dinner plate.

Boeuf Bourguignon can be enjoyed on any given Saturday, even better and tastier if you have some left over for another day. Luckily, I had it again on Sunday over cooked fussili pasta! Scrumptious!

I will definitely make this dish again!

It was fun! I can’t wait for my next challenge! See you next time…à bientot!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Prep Time: 30mins
Cooking Time: 5hrs

Ingredients

250 grams bacon slice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 kilo lean stew beef, cut into 1 ½ – 2 inch cubes

2 carrots, cubed

1 medium onion, diced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 liter dry red wine, young and full bodied

4 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

10-15 shallots (20 pearl onions if available)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 2 garlic cloves)

500 grams fresh mushrooms, quartered

Preparation

Step1
Blanch bacon with 1 cup of water in a nonstick pan, to render and give off enough fat to fry with. Remove bacon into a bowl and set aside.

Step2
In the same pan, throw the beef cubes in, few pieces at a time. Sauté until nicely brown on all sides using rendered fat from bacon and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then remove browned beef from the pan into the bowl with bacon and set aside.

Step3
In the same fat and pan, brown cubed carrots and sliced onions. Poured out excess fat before the meat and bacon are put back into the pan. Then toss with salt, pepper and flour to coat lightly the meat. Cook till flour in meat turns brown with a light crust. Turn meat and vegetables once while cooking.

Step4
When done, remove the meat and vegetables into a large casserole. Deglaze the pan with red wine, pouring it into the casserole along with the beef stock, almost to cover the meat and vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes and added the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer and covered. Regulate heat so that liquid simmer very slowly for 4 hours or until the meat is tender and sauce has reduced. It is worth checking the meat every hour and if the level of liquid drops, gradually add half a cup each of the beef stock and red wine.

Step5
When the stew is done, prepare the shallots and mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add shallots and sauté over moderate heat, gently rolling them till brown evenly. Then add 1 cup of the stock left, salt and pepper and the same herb bouquet used in the stew. Cover and simmer slowly until the shallots are tender, and the liquid evaporates. Then remove the herb bouquet and set the shallots aside.

Step6
In the same skillet, heat remaining oil and butter over high heat and add the mushrooms, tossing them till brown slightly. Then remove from heat. Set the mushrooms aside until needed.

Step7
Pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Simmer the sauce for 2 minutes in the saucepan, allowing the sauce to reduce gently, to give a rich finish to this dish. Season carefully with salt and pepper.

Step8
Wash out the casserole and put back to heat and return the meat and vegetables. Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables into the casserole. Add in the shallots and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes, gently basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Step9
Serve hot in a casserole or arrange on a stew platter over mashed potatoes or favorite cooked pasta and garnish with parsley.

This recipe makes 4 servings.