Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon © kvalifood.com

Boeuf Bourguignon is a Burgundian beef stew with red wine, shallots, carrots and mushrooms. It is not difficult, but it takes time — the meat must be browned thoroughly in several batches, and the dish needs to simmer for at least 1½ hours before the mushrooms are added at the end. A strip of orange peel in the pot is not accidental: it lifts the heavy wine sauce.

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

  • 3/4–1 kg (1¾–2¼ lbs) lean beef (chuck or rump), cut into cubes
  • 3 slices lightly salted streaky bacon
  • 12 shallots
  • 2 carrots
  • 1–2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 500 ml red wine, or half wine, half stock
  • salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 1 strip orange peel
  • 250 g button mushrooms
  • finely chopped parsley, to serve

Directions

Preparation

Cut the bacon into small cubes. Peel the shallots. Peel the carrots and slice them. Pat the beef cubes thoroughly dry with kitchen paper — dry meat browns far better than wet meat.

Browning

Brown the bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot until almost crisp. Remove. Brown the beef in 2–3 batches in the same fat — no more than a single layer at a time. Remove the meat. Brown the shallots, then remove them. Briefly fry the finely chopped garlic and carrots.

Stew

Return the meat and bacon to the pot. Sprinkle the flour over and stir until absorbed. Add the shallots, bouquet garni and orange peel. Pour in the red wine and bring to the boil. Skim carefully. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and put the lid on. Let the stew simmer gently until the meat is tender, 1–1½ hours. Top up with a little stock if needed.

Mushrooms

Clean the mushrooms and quarter them. Add them to the pot for the last 8 minutes of cooking.

Serving

Remove the bouquet garni and orange peel. Scatter finely chopped parsley over and serve with a baguette.

Notes

  • Pat the meat dry and brown in batches over high heat — steaming instead of browning gives a pale, flat dish.
  • The strip of orange peel lifts the heavy wine sauce with a subtle citrus note; remove before serving.
  • Mushrooms are added at the end to preserve their texture and colour — added too early they turn grey and soft.
  • The dish improves markedly if made the day before; reheat gently over low heat.
  • Freezes well for up to 3 months; add a splash of stock when reheating.