Beef Burgundy aka Bourguignon

This beef Burgundy recipe, or beef Bourguignon, is beef pieces bathed in Burgundy wine and cooked long and slow with herbs and mushrooms until they are fork-tender. This ultimate comfort food can be made in the slow cooker, stovetop, or oven.

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Beef Burgundy, also called Beef Bourguignon in French, is a stew prepared with braised beef and red wine sauce. Traditionally, they used Burgundy wine; that’s why this dish is often called Beef Burgundy instead of its original name, Beef Bourguignon. And I call it Beef Burgundy because I’m really terrible with French pronunciation.

In the old days, slow-cooked meat was often used to soften tough cuts of meat. And, although this started off as a peasant dish, today, it’s at the heart of French cooking. In fact, you will often find it at some very high-end French restaurants.

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Step-by-step: Stovetop Beef Bourguignon

• Using a sturdy cutting board and chef’s knife, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces that are not too small.
  Pro tip – I like cutting the beef into about 2-inch pieces, making sure they are all similar in size so they cook evenly.

• Cook mushrooms – In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan, add one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon oil. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute on high for 2 minutes, then add some salt and pepper. Cook another minute. Then, remove from the heat and set aside.
  Pro tip – Cooking on high will ensure the moisture released from the mushrooms evaporates, preventing them from stewing and becoming soggy. We want them to soak up the gravy later, not the juices now.

• Sear the meat – To the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil and the beef pieces and cook on high for 2 minutes. Then, turn and cook on the other side for 2 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  Pro tip – Do not crowd the pan. If necessary, do this in batches. I did this in two batches.

• To the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp butter, and chopped bacon. Saute the onions, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves until the onions are translucent.
  Pro tip – You can omit the oil if you are using bacon. As bacon has enough fat to cook the veggies. (In the video, I did not use the bacon).
• Next, add the flour and saute for another minute or two. Lower the heat to medium and add the red wine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, deglazing/scraping the pan to remove all the stuck bits in the pan.
  Pro tip – We want to cook the flour but not burn it, so keep the heat on low. Similarly, we want the alcohol to evaporate. So, let it boil for at least 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will get thicker because the flour makes a nice thick gravy.

• Next, season with salt and black pepper. Then, add the tomato paste and thyme. Return the beef to the pan. Combine well with a wooden spoon, then add the stock or beef broth to the pan. Bring to a boil.
• Then, lower the heat to a simmer and cook on low for 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add ¼ to ½ cup water to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
  Pro tip – Depending on the cut of meat you use, it will take between 1 to 2 hours. For example, brisket takes me almost 2 hours, stew meat takes just 1 ½ hours or less.

• When the meat is fork-tender, return the mushrooms to the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Step-by-step: Slow-cooker/crockpot beef bourguignon

• Have your slow cooker pot ready so you can add things to it as they are ready.
• Using a sturdy cutting board and chef’s knife, cut the beef into bite-sized pieces that are not too small.
  Pro tip – I like cutting the beef to about 2-inch pieces when cooking in the slow cooker.
• Sear the meat – To the large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan, add 1 tbsp oil and the beef pieces, and cook on high for 2 minutes. Then, turn and cook on the other side for 2 minutes more. Remove from the pan and add it to the slow cooker.
  Pro tip – Do not crowd the pan. If necessary, do this in batches. I did this in two batches.
• To the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp butter, and chopped bacon. Saute the onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and sugar until the onions are translucent.
  Pro tip – You can omit the oil if you are using bacon. Bacon has enough fat to cook the veggies (in the video, I did not use the bacon). We use sugar only in the slow-cooker version to enhance the color. But feel free to omit it.
• Add the mushrooms. Turn the heat up to medium-high and saute until all the liquid released from the mushrooms is almost dried. Then, add the red wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  Pro tip – We want the excess moisture from the mushrooms and the alcohol in the wine to evaporate. So, let it boil for at least 2 to 3 minutes.

• Next, pour the mushroom mixture over the beef in the slow cooker along with all the rest of the ingredients. Thyme, tomato paste, stock, salt, and pepper.
  Pro tip – I like to combine the tomato paste with the stock/broth so it does not stay lumpy in the slow cooker.
• Combine everything well. Cover with the lid and cook in the slow cooker or crockpot until the meat is fork-tender.
  Pro tip – You can cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or for 3 to 4 hours on high. Personally, I like cooking on low so the meat is moist, juicy, and fork-tender.
• Adjusting gravy – The excess liquid does not evaporate when cooking in the slow cooker. You can serve the extra liquid with bread or rice. Alternatively, drain the meat from the slow cooker in a colander and transfer the liquid to a saucepan. Reduce it over medium heat on the stovetop until it’s a thicker consistency. Then, add the meat back to the liquid.

Step-by-step: Oven braised beef bourguignon

• Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / gas mark 3.
• Saute the mushrooms, sear the meat, and cook the meat as described above for the stovetop method.
• Then, instead of cooking on the stovetop, cover it and transfer it to a preheated oven. Cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
• When done, add the sauteed mushrooms and parsley. Cook another 10 to 15 minutes to warm the mushrooms.

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Frequently asked questions

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