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
6 people
13 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 6 people, you will need:
800 g beef
250 g smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon)
1 
3 tablespoons 
1 tablespoon 
750 ml red wine
1 
3 
1 kg 
250 g 
1 tablespoon 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 5 min.
Cooking: 3 hours 15 min.
All in all: 4 hours 20 min.
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Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 15 min.
Cut 800 g 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 250 g smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon) in small pieces.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
In a big pan on medium fire, pour 3 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 750 ml red wine.
Stage 11 - 30 min.
Stir well, scratch bottom pan to deglaze, then add 1 bouquet 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 3 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 1 kg potatoes in water.
Stage 15 - 10 min.
During this time, peel and slice 250 g 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 1 tablespoon 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 | 210 RDI=80 % | 290 RDI=30 % | 270 RDI=40 % | 5,050 RDI=250 % | 21,150 RDI: 250 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 130 RDI=7 % | 550 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 40 RDI=10 % | 50 RDI=4 % | 40 RDI=7 % | 840 RDI=40 % | 3,530 RDI: 40 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 6 people : 16.30 €
- Per person : 2.75 €
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: Hasselback or "Swedish-style" potatoes, Sorrel soup, Home-made potato crisps , Ramekins of duchess potatoes, Normandy seafood stew, ... See them all 81
Beef
Like these other recipes: How to cook red meat properly, How to slow cook meat, Upside-down Parmentier, Carbonnade, Taos hotpot, ... See them all 10
Red wine
Like these other recipes: Marchand de vin sauce, Beef braised in reduced red wine, Pears in red wine with blackcurrant , Aperitif rolls, Saucipain, ... See them all 19
Mushrooms
Like these other recipes: Breton leek and mushroom tart, Coq au vin, Mushroom velouté, Mushroom buckwheat pancakes, Chicken and mushroom pie, ... See them all 61
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