Beef bourguignon or bœuf bourguignon ( in French ) is a well-known, traditional French recipe.
The dish originates from the Burgundy
region (in French, Bourgogne) which is in the east of
France, as do many of the more well-known French dishes such as coq au vin, fondue bourguignone, escargots, persillé ham, oeufs meurette, etc.
It is a stew prepared with braised beef in red wine, traditionally red Burgundy and beef broth, generally flavoured with garlic, onions and a bouquet garni with onions and mushrooms added towards the end of cooking.
Traditionally, the meat was larded with lardons,
but modern beef is sufficiently tender and well marbled, so this very
time-consuming technique is rarely used any more. However, bacon cut
into small cubes is still used to produce the initial cooking fat and
added to the dish at the end.
History
Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishesbeing slowly refined into haute cuisine.
Most likely, the particular method of slowly simmering the beef in wine
originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been
too tough to cook any other way.
Over time, the dish became a standard of French cuisine. The recipe
most people still follow to make an authentic beef bourguignon was first
described by Auguste Escoffier. That recipe, however, has undergone subtle changes, owing to changes in cooking equipment and available food supplies.Julia Child describes the dish, sauté de boeuf à la Bourguignonne, as "certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man".
Our boeuf bourguignon is available for event catering
Alternatively, you can make it at home by following our recipe.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
- 1.5 kg stewing beef (chuck or shin)
- 200 g lean salt pork or thick cut bacon
- 40 g butter
- 350 g pearl onions
- 350 g small button mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 750 ml red wine, preferably Burgundy
- 1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig rosemary, 6 sprigs parsley
- 750 ml beef broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
Method:
1. Bring a pan of water to a boil, and drop in the pearl
onions. Let them boil rapidly for 2-3 minutes, then plunge them into
cold water, and peel them. Cut the mushrooms in half if needed, they
should match the size of the onions. Tie together the herbs for the
bouquet garni.
2. Cut the beef into 2 inch pieces and dice the salt pork or cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet and fry
the onions over a high heat, stirring frequently and shaking the pan,
until they are golden-brown. Remove onto a plate. Add another tablespoon
butter to the same skillet and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes until
golden, then set aside with the pearl onions.
4. In a Dutch oven or a large heavy pot, cook the pork
or bacon over medium heat until golden brown, then remove with a slotted
spoon and drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Increase
the heat to medium-high. Add enough meat to the pan to fit easily in one
layer and sear on all sides until well browned. Transfer the beef to a
plate and continue browning the meat in batches.
5. When all the beef has been browned, pour off any fat
from the pot and add the remaining butter. When the butter has melted,
add the chopped onion, carrot and garlic and cook over medium heat for
3-4 minutes until just softened, stirring frequently. Sprinkle over the
flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine, tomato paste and
bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the pan and pour on the
broth, adding more if needed to cover the meat and vegetables when
pressed down. Cover the pan and simmer very gently over low heat,
stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours or until the meat is very
tender.
7. Add the sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions. Season to
taste and cook, covered, for 30 minutes more. Discard the bouquet
garni. Stir in the parsley before serving with steamed potatoes or
mashed potatoes.
Bon appétit!
