Directions
- 1Start by preparing the vegetables: clean and cut the leek, chop a large onion or two smaller ones, cut carrots quite thick, halve the mushrooms, and cut the bacon. Roughly chop the garlic.
- 2Add some oil to a Dutch oven and heat it up.
- 3Preheat the oven to a medium temperature.
- 4Brown the beef chuck in the hot oil until it has some char, then remove it from the pot.
- 5Add the cut bacon to the pot and cook.
- 6Add the chopped onions, leek, and carrots to the pot and cook for a couple of minutes.
- 7Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook for another minute or two.
- 8Return the browned beef to the pot.
- 9Add whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot; these will be fished out at the end.
- 10Pour an entire bottle of red wine (Pinot Noir recommended) into the pot.
- 11Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for five to ten minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- 12Add a couple of bay leaves to the pot.
- 13Stir in the tomato paste.
- 14Pour in a litre of beef stock.
- 15Bring the mixture back to a boil, then put a lid on the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven for two hours.
- 16After two hours, remove the pot from the oven. Turn the heat on the stovetop to low.
- 17In a separate pan, add a tiny bit of oil and a wedge of butter.
- 18Add peeled pearl onions (or small onions) to the pan and cook until they have a little color on each side.
- 19Add a bit of flour to the pan with the onions to create a roux, which will thicken the stew. Let it cool slightly.
- 20Introduce the roux with the onions to the main stew and stir through.
- 21Reduce the stew for at least another half an hour until it reaches a thick, sludge-like consistency.
- 22Serve the beef bourguignon, removing the herb stems and bay leaves before plating. It pairs well with mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- beef chuck
- pearl onions
- French shallots
- 1 leek
- 1 onion
- carrots
- mushrooms
- bacon
- garlic
- oil
- flour or cornstarch
- thyme
- rosemary
- 1 bottle red wine (Pinot Noir recommended)
- 2 bay leaves
- tomato paste
- 1 litre beef stock
- salt
- butter
Equipment
Dutch ovenovenbowlsinktongs
Tips
- If you're not a wine person, swap red wine for beef stock.
- If you can't find pearl onions, use French shallots or omit them.
- Rinse leeks thoroughly to remove dirt.
- Cut carrots thick to prevent them from turning to mush.
- Separately cook mushrooms in butter for a more traditional bourguignon, or add them directly to the stew.
- Do not dust beef with flour if using a cast iron Dutch oven to avoid sticking; add flour later to thicken the stew.
- Scrape the bottom of the pan after adding wine to deglaze.
- Use a good quality red wine for a better flavor.
- Adjust salt based on the saltiness of your stock.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta.
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