When her soon-to-be-editor, tested this recipe from Julia’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” manuscript, she knew she had found something special. The rest is history.
This classic French dish is one my family often serves on Christmas Eve.
Boeuf Bourguignon (which translates into Beef Burgundy – as in the wine) is basically just a beef stew in a red wine sauce. Slow cooking a normally tough cut transforms the beef into a delicious fork-tender delight.
The additions of vegetables like carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions makes it a one pot meal.
You can use fresh pearl onions in this recipe, but they need to be peeled and cooked first. Here’s my timesaving tip. Frozen onions are equally delicious and save you 15 to 20 minutes of preparation time.
As for the wine, you don’t need to use an expensive Burgundy, but you do want to pick a wine that tastes good. That’s pretty much the rule of thumb whenever cooking with wine.
If worried about how busy Christmas Eve or Day may be, know that this stew can be made a day or two in advance. In fact, I think it may be even better the second day. Just reheat the stew on your stove top over medium-low heat.
Serve on its own, over rice, or my favorite way - with creamy mashed potatoes.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Merry Christmas!
Boeuf Bourguignon
- 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (1 large onion)
- 1 1/2 cups finely diced carrots (about 5 small carrots)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 bottle (750 ml) good red wine (preferably Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups fresh button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
- 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole white pearl onions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and generously season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pot. In 2 batches as to not over-crowd the pot, cook the meat until nicely browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the meat to a plate.
Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, red wine, and chicken stock and stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and place in the oven. Cook until the beef is fork tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and place on the stove. Discard the bay leaves.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté until softened and golden, about 4 minutes. Add the cooked mushrooms and frozen onions to the stew. Bring the stew back to a boil and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot.
Serves 6.
Printed with permission from Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler.