Boeuf (beef) bourguignon
Bœuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe of French cuisine (bourguignon means from Burgundy). It's chunks of meat cooked slowly with bacon, onions, carrots and mushrooms in red wine.
4 hours 20 min.
Easy
18 people
13 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 18 people, you will need:
2 litres 400 ml beef
750 mls smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon)
3 
9 tablespoons 
3 tablespoons 
2250 ml red wine
3 
9 
3 litres 
1 litre 875 ml 
3 tablespoons 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 5 min.
Cooking: 3 hours 15 min.
All in all: 4 hours 20 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 15 min.
Cut 2 litres 400 ml beef in pieces, remove and dispose everything that is not good meat (skin, strong parts), it's the main secret of boeuf bourgignon: a perfect meat at the beginning.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Cut 750 mls smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon) in small pieces.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
In a big pan on medium fire, pour 9 tablespoons oil, when hot add grinded onion and bacon, mix well, pepper and some salt.
Stage 5 - 4 min.
Make cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, then remove pan from fire and with a skimmer put mixture in a plate, leave only some fat in the pan.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
Put back pan on lively fire, add meat pieces...
Stage 7 - 8 min.
...and make brown on each sides.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
Stage 9 - 2 min.
Add onion mix, stir again.
Stage 10 - 1 min.
Add 2250 ml red wine.
Stage 11 - 30 min.
Stir well, scratch bottom pan to deglaze, then add 3 Bouquets garni, salt and pepper.
Reduce fire to slow, and let cook for 30 minutes.
If you get foam on top during this time, skim it and dispose.
Reduce fire to slow, and let cook for 30 minutes.
If you get foam on top during this time, skim it and dispose.
Stage 12 - 5 min.
During this time, peel, wash and cut 9 carrots in pieces.
Stage 13 - 2 hours
Add them in the pan, and let cook uncovered for at least 2 hours.
Stage 14 - 25 min.
During this time, peel, wash and make cook 3 litres potatoes in water.
Stage 15 - 10 min.
During this time, peel and slice 1 litre 875 ml mushrooms.
Stage 16 - 1 min.
Add mushrooms in the pan about 30 minutes before serving.
Stage 17 - 5 min.
You can brown potatoes in a frying pan with 1 tbs of oil, not absolutely needed, but in my opinion much better.
Stage 18 - 5 min.
Preparing sauce:
Put everything solid from pan in a strainer on another pan.
Dispose bouquet garni.
Your goal is to have have only liquid part in the pan, and all solid part in another.
Put everything solid from pan in a strainer on another pan.
Dispose bouquet garni.
Your goal is to have have only liquid part in the pan, and all solid part in another.
Stage 19 - 5 min.
Put back pan with liquid on medium fire, when boiling add 3 tablespoons cornflour mixed with some cold water.
Whip strongly to thicken sauce, then taste to check seasoning.
Whip strongly to thicken sauce, then taste to check seasoning.
Stage 20 - 10 min.
Put back meat and vegetables in the smooth and tasty sauce, slow fire, and let stay until service time.
Stage 21
Heat plates and serve with potatoes.
Remarks
Bœuf Bourguignon is one of those dishes that get better each time they are reheated, so don't hesitate to make a lot in one go and then reheat it several times.
For the wine, it should be ideally a red Burgundy made from pinot noir grapes, but if you can't get one from this area at a reasonable price, try to get another pinot noir if possible.
If you have a good butcher, ask his advice about suitable cuts of beef for bourguignon, otherwise remember you don't need an expensive cut like steak, but preferably a cheaper cut suited to long slow cooking (such as stewing steak).
Years ago it was usual to thicken the sauce with a "roux" (mix of cooked butter and flour), it's efficient but unfortunately it dulls the flavour of the sauce. Bernard Loiseau the famous French chef, in his day, suggested replacing the roux with a little carrot purée, but cornflour also works well.
For the wine, it should be ideally a red Burgundy made from pinot noir grapes, but if you can't get one from this area at a reasonable price, try to get another pinot noir if possible.
If you have a good butcher, ask his advice about suitable cuts of beef for bourguignon, otherwise remember you don't need an expensive cut like steak, but preferably a cheaper cut suited to long slow cooking (such as stewing steak).
Years ago it was usual to thicken the sauce with a "roux" (mix of cooked butter and flour), it's efficient but unfortunately it dulls the flavour of the sauce. Bernard Loiseau the famous French chef, in his day, suggested replacing the roux with a little carrot purée, but cornflour also works well.
And to drink?
The same wine you use in the recipe, ideally a bourgogne pinot noir.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made, after Ginette Mathiot.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 640 RDI=250 % | 860 RDI=80 % | 810 RDI=120 % | 13,240 RDI=660 % | 55,440 RDI: 660 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=3 % | 9 RDI=1 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 140 RDI=7 % | 600 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 40 RDI=10 % | 50 RDI=4 % | 40 RDI=7 % | 740 RDI=40 % | 3,080 RDI: 40 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 18 people : 33.10 €
- Per person : 1.85 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Hearty potato and ham gratin, Roast potatoes "à la provençale", "Day After Pork Belly" Soup, Ramekins of duchess potatoes, Grated potato cakes, ... See them all 79
Beef
Like these other recipes: Upside-down Parmentier, Beef braised in reduced red wine, Carbonnade, Taos hotpot, Roast beef "like they do it in Santa Fe", ... See them all 10
Red wine
Like these other recipes: Oxtail Parmentier, Rabbit civet, Roscoff loaf, Beef braised in reduced red wine, Pears in red wine with blackcurrant , ... See them all 19
Smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon)
Like these other recipes: Warm lentil salad, Soup Cornouaillaise, Mornay onion tart, Express sauerkraut, ... See them all 4
Other recipes you may also like
Rabbit with mustard
This recipe uses boned rabbit. This is sautéed in mustard then cooked in the oven. It is served with broad beans, bacon and mushrooms, and a sauce made with reduced white wine.May 15th 2011184 K4.9 2 hours 9 min.
Apple confectioner's custard
For this strongly apple-flavoured version of confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), apple juice is used instead of milk and the quantity of sugar is reduced.July 23th 2014127 K4.6 25 min.
Rolled chestnut and apple brioche
This rolled brioche is made with a special dough, using a mixture of two flours: ordinary plain flour and chestnut flour. The prepared dough is then rolled up around a filling of apples sautéed with brown sugar.September 12th 201850 K 24 15 hours 55 min.
Caramelised apple pie
Apple pie made with caramelised apples.September 11th 2018254 K4.3 1 hour 55 min.
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site.September 16th 2020519 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-11-24)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 4 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 3 comments already posted on this recipe