Beef Bourguignon is widely loved classic dish. It is one of those meals you can take your time cooking while sipping on a glass of wine. This is the best beef bourguignon recipe we have tried at Clubnomnmnom. It is rich in flavour, easy to make and very satisfying. We have put together a couple of ways to cook the best beef bourguignon recipe. The traditional way and version for the slow cooker.
This dish is very forgiving and difficult to get wrong, so it is ideal for those who are not the most experienced in the kitchen, but want to make something amazing. You may think that there are lots of steps to this beef bourguignon recipe, but the final product is worth the effort.
Which meat to use for the best beef bourguignon recipe?
You can use chuck steak, stewing beef or brisket. Brisket is fantastic and just falls apart. But, you will not be disappointed with whatever stewing steak you can get.
Top Tips for making the best beef bourguignon recipe
- Tasting – Once you have finished cooking your “Bourg”, you will taste it. You may find that it tastes a bit winey. Don’t worry too much about this, because it takes at least fifteen minutes for it to settle down.
- Don’t forget the mushrooms – Additionally. don’t put them in at the start of the cooking process. This is because, they will shrivel up to nothing by the end.
- Use a burgundy, merlot, pinot noir or a similar wine to cook with. Although, it is good to use a reasonably nice bottle of wine, don’t use anything too expensive. Save that for drinking.
What to serve with your "Bourg"?
Mash, mash mash! Mashed potatoes are the best thing to eat with a beef bourguignon. They soak up the sauce nicely and taste great when they contain lots of butter. An extra vegetable option you can use are green beans, carrots and broccoli.
The Best Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 3 hours. Difficulty: Easy Serves: 6 to 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 170g bacon, roughly chopped
- 3 1.5 kg of beef cut into chunks
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 12 small pearl onions
- About 3 glasses red wine
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 beef bullion cube, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 450g fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons butter
Method
- Preheat oven to 175°C.
- Heat the oil in a heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside
- Sear the beef in batches in the hot bacon fat until dark brown on all sides. Add olive oil if necessary. Remove to the dish with the bacon.
- In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, then add 4 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Put the bacon and beef back into the pot and add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
- Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is just covered. Then add the tomato puree, bullion and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
- Cover and transfer to lower part of the oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender.
- While this is cooking, prepare your mushrooms ready to add.
- Heat the butter in a medium-sized pan and add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant, then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, making sure they are coated with butter. Season and set aside.
- Place a colander over a large pot. Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbs
- Return the beef mixture back into the pot and add the mushrooms.
- Remove any fat off the sauce and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
- There should be about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly.
- If you think your sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If it is too thin, boil it over medium heat until it has reduced to the right consistency.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
- If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes
For cooking the best beef bourguignon recipe in a slow cooker
- In a large pan, sauté the bacon over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Then transfer to your slow cooker bowl.
- Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides in the oil/bacon fat. Transfer to slow cooker with the bacon, and add in the onions (both types) and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the red wine into the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes, then whisk in the flour until the lumps have gone. Allow to reduce and thicken slightly, then pour it into the slow cooker with 2 cups of stock, tomato puree, garlic, bullion and herbs.
- Mix well and cook on high heat setting for 6 hours or low for 8 hours, or until beef is falling apart and tender.
- Prepare your mushrooms while everything is cooking. Heat the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, making sure they are coated with butter. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add to the Beef Bourguignon, mixing them through the sauce before serving.
- Garnish with fresh parley and serve with mashed potatoes.
