Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon is a classic winter dish that simmers in red wine on low temperature for several hours. It’s a delicious meal that’s sure to warm you up on these chilly days.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the New York Beef Council on the New York Beef Tour. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands and companies that support me!
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Earlier this fall (which seems like yesterday), I had the chance to join a couple of my New York blogger friends out in the Finger Lakes area of the state. The trip, organized by the New York Beef Council, gave us a chance to visit several several farms out in the western part of the state. I learned a lot of things on that trip, but one of the coolest things is that cows like to eat chocolate. And cereal.
Cows are amazing animals in that they can take foods like grass, corn and grains and turn it into a high-quality protein for human consumption. In fact, one of the common food sources for cattle farmers is actually spent grain, a byproduct of the beer brewing process. Humans can’t use this spent grain, but cattle love it! Cows follow the sweet smell of mash, and they moo to let the farmer know it’s time for more.
Another byproduct that cattle love? Chocolate. Here in the northeast, Hershey and other chocolate companies in the Pennsylvania area produce a lot of chocolate. For various reasons, there is often leftover chocolate that can’t be used…and a lot of it goes to the cows! Seriously. One of the farmers on our trip said that his herd of cows will actually lick the bucket clean whenever he adds some of those chocolate shavings. Kinda cool way to use a byproduct in an efficient way. (Another efficient use of leftover chocolate would be to send it to my front porch. Just sayin’.)
Cows are ruminant animals, which means their digestive systems are able to extract nutrients from plant-based foods that ferment in a specialized stomach. There is some really fascinating research being done in this field, and we talked with a professional who helps formulate diets for cattle. For instance, cattle love corn. However, recent research has found that cows obtain more nutrients from flaked corn. Flaked corn. Does that sound familiar. Perhaps corn flakes? Yup, cows love corn flakes! Sure, the corn flakes they eat don’t have any added sugar. They’re literally just flaked corn. I took a nibble of one of the flakes, and it tasted just like breakfast cereal. Kinda cool, huh?
Beef Bourguignon
Beef BourguignonLet’s switch gears slightly and turn our attention to a tasty beef recipe. Beef Bourguignon (or Boeuf Bourguignon as Julia Child would say) is a classic French recipe. The name comes from the fact that an entire bottle of burgundy wine is used to make this dish. Yup, an entire bottle. But it’s worth it as the flavor of this Beef Bourguignon is seriously delicious! In fact, Laura called this a fancy version of roast beef. She’s kinda right. I looked back at my classic pot roast recipe that we make at least once a winter, and it’s surprisingly similar. But as tasty as the classic pot roast is, this Beef Bourguignon is even better! From here on out, it’s Beef Bourguignon in this house!
What type of wine is used for Beef Bourguignon?
What type of wine is used for Beef Bourguignon?So I learned something interesting when I went to the store to get a bottle of burgundy to make this recipe. Burgundy is a region in France, but burgundy wines vary quite a bit. Red burgundy wines are made from Pinot Noir grapes, but there are also white burgundy wines. (You’ll want a red version for this Beef Bourguignon.) A good rule of thumb when buying wine for cooking is to use a wine you would drink. After all, the flavors of this wine concentrate a bit at the end, and the sauce gets spooned over the entire dish…so you want to make sure you’ve got a decent quality wine. If you can’t find a red burgundy wine, then a Pinot Noir, Cabernet or even Merlot would all work just fine.
What cut of beef is used for Beef Bourguignon?
What cut of beef is used for Beef Bourguignon?The traditional cut of beef for Beef Bourguignon is a boneless chuck roast. This is the same cut that is used for pot roasts, and you can often find boneless chuck roasts on sale during the winter months. I’ve seen some recipes for Beef Bourguignon which call for stew meat, but I prefer to get a boneless chuck roast and cut it myself. That way, I can cut the pieces larger (~2″ cubes) than what typically comes in stew meat. In my opinion, the larger pieces make for a better presentation when you serve this meal. Plus, after braising in that wine for 3 hours, the beef is so tender that it literally falls apart with a fork.
I hope you enjoy this Beef Bourguignon as much as we do! It’s a classic winter dish that’s sure to warm you up on these chilly days. Cheers, friends! And if you make this recipe, swing back by and leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for some more beef recipes? Check out some of these tasty ideas!
Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew
Shepherd’s Pie Mashed Potatoes
Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter and Grilled Mushrooms
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 8 oz. thick-cut bacon diced
- 3-3½ lb boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 large white onion peeled and sliced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 16 oz. cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 750-ml bottle red wine (preferably Burgandy)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- {option #1} tagliatelle pasta cooked
- {option #2} wild rice cooked
- {option #3} mashed potatoes
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon and let cook for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy; set bacon aside. Do not drain bacon fat from pan.
- Meanwhile, slice the beef roast into 2” chunks. Pat beef dry with paper towels and then place in a large bowl. Add kosher salt and toss.
- Once bacon has been removed from pan, add beef and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. (Note: Sear beef in 2-3 batches to keep from overcrowding pan.) Transfer seared beef to a large bowl and toss with flour.
- Add sliced white onion and carrots to pan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until onions just begin to brown.
- Add dried thyme, pepper, garlic and mushrooms; continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return bacon and beef to the pan and add wine, beef stock and tomato paste. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (Note: liquid should just barely cover beef.) Bring liquid to a simmer and
- Transfer pan to preheated oven and cook covered for 3 hours at 250°F.
- Ladle liquid from pan and transfer into a large saucepan. Simmer liquid uncovered over medium heat for 30-40 minutes, or until reduced to 3 cups. Pour reduced liquid back over beef and vegetables and heat over low heat until hot.
- Divide beef, vegetables and a ladleful of liquid into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over cooked pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
Sounds like you learned a lot about cows. Very interesting stuff. This Beef Bourguignon sounds delicious. I don’t cook enough with wine. I need to change that.
I love learning about where our food comes from, Dawn! It’s so important for us to understand the story behind the story. You know, we find a package of steaks in the grocery store…where did those steaks come from? It’s good to know! And, yes, I fully support cooking more with wine…and maybe having a sip or two along the way. 🙂
A long time ago I made Julia Child’s famous Beouf Bourguignon and it took days. Your version looks so much easier .
I’ve seen Julia Child’s recipe, and it looks quite impressive…but it also takes way too long. I’m all about tackling fun recipes now and then (even if they take a long time), but sometimes you just need a good Beef Bourguignon for dinner and you don’t want to wait! 🙂
I know…really seems like fall is yesterday. It flew past like a blink of an eye!
Cows like corn flakes….who woulda thunk it, lol ?? And chocolate? That is a HUGE surprise, buuut I can’t blame ’em, lol. Beef bourguignon is definitely a comfort food classic and with the snow and cold weather we’ve been having this is definitely in order. A plate of this, a glass of vino and I’m one happy lady! Cheers to a lovely weekend ahead, David 🙂
I feel like fall got stolen from us this year. It was hot, hot, kinda hot, hot and then *boom* colder than the dickens. I found it so interesting to learn more about what cows eat. And it’s pretty cool how they are able to eat (and actually love) things that we can’t do much with as humans. Fascinating stuff if you ask me!
And, yes, a glass of vino and a plate of beef bourguignon sounds like an excellent weekend plan. Let’s make that happen! 🙂
Hi David! I make beef bourguignon almost exactly like this! It is the perfect comfort food. I also prefer cutting up a chuck roast. We like it served over polenta. Great cold weather dish!
Oooh…I like the idea of polenta! That would really soak up the juices from the beef bourguignon. I’m totally using this idea next time I make this one. It’s perfect winter comfort food! 🙂
What? Getting rid of unwanted chocolate? You’ve described pretty much my dream job, David! How is it fair that cows are so lucky (Well, I guess that’s a little reimbursement for providing us with milk and proteins)? But if you ever see a job posting like that, please lwt me know 🙂 In a meanwhile, if you ever need (Which I doubt!) to make leftovers of this delicious Beef Bourguignon disappear, you know my address!
Haha! Tell me about it. How is there such a thing as unwanted chocolate? I’ll let you know if I ever see that job posting! I’ll let you know about leftovers of this Beef Bourguignon…but don’t hold your breath. (The leftovers are just as good…if not better…than the original dish!)
OMG I love cows even more now that I know they like chocolate. And if I can’t have Hershey’s leftovers then I’m glad the cows are getting it :). Beef bourguignon really is comfort food; I remember my mom making it a few times when I was growing up and it was very warming and cozy. Yours looks fabulous!
Hah! Now that’s a good way to look at it, Kelsie. If we can’t eat the leftover Hershey’s, then at least it’s good to know that the cows are enjoying it! I officially declare it comfort food season now. Christmas is almost here, and it’s time to curl up on the couch with some tasty food!
Beef bourguignon has and always will be a favourite casserole dish of mine David. Cows like to eat chocolate? Well who would have known? But well who doesn’t like chocolate? 😉
Hah…you make a good point, Neil! Everyone likes chocolate. Including cows. 🙂 And this beef bourguignon is a huge favorite in our house. We’ve already made it twice in the past month! Hope you have a great weekend ahead, my friend!
The Finger Lake region is a beautiful area. So, if a cow just ate chocolate I bet it would make a fantastic Mole Amarillo de Res (Beef Mole)! With the snow monster on the way over this way, a nice Boeuf Bourguignon sounds divine. Thanks for sharing.
Hah! I thought you were gonna say ‘chocolate milk’ from a cow who just ate chocolate. 🙂 Beef Mole works, too! Now that snow season is here, it’s officially time to just curl up on the couch with comfort food…and this beef bourguignon is definitely comfort food!
Beef Bourguignon is such a classic and somehow I’ve never made it. Clearly that needs to change – this looks so juicy and delicious. I bet that all that burgundy wine makes the beef melt in your mouth tender!
You’ve never made beef bourguignon!? Ok. That’s it. Stop reading this comment right now and go get the ingredients today! It’s such a wonderful comfort food meal. Perfect for curling up on the couch during the holiday break! 🙂