Boeuf bourguignon | Beef Burgundy | Burgunderbraten | Carne de res a la borgoñona | Wołowina po burgundzku | ブルゴーニュ風の牛肉料理 | 勃艮第牛肉 | 부르고뉴식 소고기고기
Boeuf Bourguignon is on must taste list while in France. It is a standard of the French cuisine, although not necessarily rooted in Burgundy. Different stories can be found on the internet on its origins. The very but very Burgundy beef Bourgignon is prepared with beef originated in Burgundy and flavored with dry, dark red Burgundy wine based on Pinot noir grapes. But even with some good quality ingredients coming from different regions, you can prepare a genuinely delicious Boeuf Bourguignon.
The Boeuf Bourguignon of my own cooking. It is probably not an everyday dish. Still, it is my favorite way of preparing beef, that I make several times a year. This one I made last weekend.
Boeuf Bourguignon is a beef stew braised in dry red wine, some brandy, cooked and roasted with bacon, carrots, leek, onions, garlic, pearl onions, and champignons, flavored with salt, pepper as well as herbs – parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. The cooking process is long-lasting, best if spread over two days, but still, Boeuf Bourguignon is relatively easy to prepare. The long cooking process gives the beef its flavor. On the other hand, breaking down the cooking process in two days (or even three if you decide to prepare a marinade) and letting beef chill after the first baking stage allows the beef to tenderize.
THE INGREDIENTS
The ingredients for six serves (according to original recipe, I sometimes change the proportions to my preference) are for the stew: 1.5 kg stewing beef (e.g. chuck, shin or brisket), cut into 4–5 cm cubes, 150 g smoked streaky bacon or lardons, 500 ml dry red wine (such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir), 500 ml beef stock, 2 carrots, sliced into rounds, 1 leek (white part only), sliced, 1 large onion, thinly sliced, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 50 g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp Cognac (optional), 1 bay leaf, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and flat-leaf parsley, tied into a bouquet garni, salt and freshly ground black pepper. For the garnish you will need: 8 small shallots or 24 pickled pearl onions, 200 g small button mushrooms, whole or halved, 1 tsp caster sugar, 1 tbsp butter (for glazing shallots), 1 tbsp butter (for frying mushrooms). Optional for thickening you will need for beurre manié: 1 tbsp softened butter mixed with 1 tbsp flour.
Begin the day before by preparing a marinade. In a large bowl, combine the beef cubes with the sliced onion, carrots, leek, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Pour over the red wine, cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge overnight. This not only infuses the meat with complex flavour but also tenderises it beautifully.
THE MAKING OF IN THE FIRST DAY
To prepare the ingredients, you will need a pan and later a bigger casserole (I use a bigger pot as usually I prepare it in bigger quantities).
First, you sear bacon, then beef and later the vegetables in a pan. Start by blanching the bacon in simmering water for 2 minutes to reduce its saltiness and render some fat. Drain and then fry the bacon in a heavy-based pan until crisp and golden. Set aside. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat it thoroughly dry with kitchen paper – this ensures proper browning. In batches, sear the meat in a mixture of oil and butter over high heat until richly coloured on all sides. Set the browned beef aside.
Sauté the reserved vegetables from the marinade in the same pan until slightly softened, then sprinkle in two tablespoons of plain flour and stir well to coat. Return the beef and bacon to the pan, pour in the reserved wine and 500 millilitres of beef stock, stir in one tablespoon of tomato purée and, optionally, two tablespoons of Cognac. Add a bouquet garni of thyme and parsley stalks tied with kitchen twine. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to an oven preheated to 150°C. Before you cover the casserole you must see that all ingredients are covered with the brew. What you add (more wine, beef brew, or some water) is your choice, but do not mind if the brew is strong. The next day, you will add the remaining ingredients. They will balance the flavor. Now it’s time to put the casserole into the oven heated to 150°C for at least two hours. At this point, the dish may be cooled and refrigerated overnight.
THE SECOND DAY
The stew chilled the next day, ready to absorb the other ingredients.
Return the stew to a pot and cook uncovered for an additional hour to reduce and concentrate the sauce. During the final cooking stage, prepare the garnish. If using fresh shallots, peel eight small ones and place them in a pan with a tablespoon of butter, a teaspoon of caster sugar, and a splash of water. Cover and cook gently until the shallots are tender and lightly caramelised. Separately, sauté 200 grams of button mushrooms in butter until browned. If using 24 pickled pearl onions instead of fresh shallots, they may be added directly to the stew without cooking.
Add the shallots and mushrooms to the stew during the final 30 minutes of cooking. If the sauce needs thickening, stir in beurre manié – a mixture of one tablespoon of softened butter and one tablespoon of flour – and allow it to simmer gently until the sauce reaches a smooth, velvety consistency.
Serve hot with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, buttered noodles or pearl barley. Once the method is mastered, feel free to modify the quantities – for instance, by adding more vegetables to create a more balanced and complete meal.
You may also like the recipes for: French Onion Soup, German Potato and Sausage Eintopf, Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup, East European Solyanka or New Zealand Chowder.
