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Boeuf bourguignon recipe: animated Gina ladling the finished dish from a Dutch oven in her home kitchen, smiling proudly over the rich, dark, wine-braised beef stew

Boeuf Bourguignon, Done Right

Gina brings the real boeuf bourguignon home from Burgundy — beef braised low and slow in Pinot Noir with pearl onions, mushrooms, and lardons until it's so tender it practically apologizes for making you wait.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 bottle Pinot Noir 750ml, a good drinkable one
  • 6 oz thick-cut bacon cut into lardons (small batons)
  • 2 medium carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef stock low sodium
  • 1 bouquet garni thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems tied in cheesecloth or bundled with twine
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 1 cup pearl onions fresh or frozen, peeled
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground

Method
 

  1. The evening before: place the beef cubes in a large bowl or zip-lock bag with the entire bottle of Pinot Noir, the chopped onion, carrots, smashed garlic, and bouquet garni. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours and up to 24.
  2. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat each piece completely dry with paper towels. This step is important — dry beef browns; wet beef steams. Reserve the marinade with its vegetables and aromatics.
  3. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
  4. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the lardons until golden and the fat has rendered, about 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
  5. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pot, season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear each piece until deeply browned on at least two sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove each batch and set aside.
  6. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the tomato paste, stirring over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly.
  7. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
  8. Pour in the reserved marinade (with its vegetables and bouquet garni) and bring to a simmer, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  9. Add the beef stock and return the seared beef and cooked lardons to the pot. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the beef. Add more stock if needed.
  10. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover tightly and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the beef is completely tender and yields easily to a fork.
  11. About 20 minutes before the beef is done, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the pearl onions until golden, about 8–10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  12. In the same skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and sauté the mushrooms over high heat until golden and any liquid has evaporated, about 5–6 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  13. When the beef is done, remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bouquet garni. Gently stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms.
  14. If the sauce seems thin, set the Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop (uncovered) and simmer for 10–15 minutes until it reduces to a glossy, coating consistency.
  15. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread, buttered egg noodles, or creamy mashed potatoes.

Notes

Boeuf bourguignon is genuinely better the next day — make it ahead if you can. Reheat gently over low heat, covered, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has thickened too much overnight.