Bœuf Bourguignon
Slow-Braised Beef, Burgundy Wine & Pearl Onions
About This Recipe
Bœuf Bourguignon is the dish that Julia Child introduced to American home cooks and the one that has defined French country cooking for generations. At its heart, it is a simple braise: beef cooked slowly in wine until it becomes impossibly tender and the sauce reduces to a glossy, deeply flavoured essence. This Jackson Laurie recipe follows the classic method, with a few refinements that make the final result truly exceptional.
Method
- 1
Marinate (optional)
For the best flavour, place beef in a bowl with the wine, garlic, and bouquet garni. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain, reserving the wine, and pat the beef very dry.
- 2
Brown the lardons
In a large Dutch oven or casserole, cook lardons over medium heat until golden and the fat has rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 3
Brown the beef
Season beef generously with salt and pepper. In batches, brown in the lardon fat over high heat until deeply caramelised on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pan. Remove and set aside.
- 4
Build the braise
Reduce heat to medium. Add carrots and pearl onions to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato purée, cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over and stir for 2 minutes.
- 5
Add liquids
Return beef and lardons to the pot. Pour in the reserved wine and enough stock to just cover the meat. Add bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer.
- 6
Slow braise
Preheat oven to 160°C (fan 140°C). Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2.5–3 hours until the beef is completely tender and yielding when pressed with a spoon.
- 7
Sauté mushrooms
30 minutes before serving, melt butter in a frying pan over high heat. Sauté mushrooms until golden. Season and set aside.
- 8
Finish and serve
Remove beef from the oven. Discard bouquet garni. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered on the stovetop for 10–15 minutes until reduced and glossy. Stir in mushrooms. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with crusty bread, mashed potato, or buttered noodles. Scatter with fresh parsley.
Chef's Tips from Chef Isabelle Moreau
Overnight marinating is optional but makes a noticeable difference to the depth of flavour.
Use a wine you'd actually drink — the quality of the wine directly affects the quality of the sauce.
The dish is even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to meld.
This freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- —1.5kg beef chuck or brisket, cut into 5cm cubes
- —1 bottle (750ml) good Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- —200g smoked lardons or thick-cut bacon, diced
- —300g button mushrooms, halved
- —200g pearl onions or small shallots, peeled
- —3 medium carrots, cut into 3cm pieces
- —4 cloves garlic, crushed
- —2 tbsp tomato purée
- —500ml beef stock
- —2 tbsp plain flour
- —Bouquet garni (bay leaves, thyme, parsley stalks)
- —3 tbsp olive oil
- —2 tbsp unsalted butter
- —Salt and black pepper
- —Fresh flat-leaf parsley to serve
Per Serving
Calories
580 kcal
Protein
48g
Fat
28g
Carbohydrates
18g
Fibre
3g
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