Bœuf Bourguignon — the classic French beef stew braised in red wine

Bœuf Bourguignon is one of the most famous dishes of French cuisine — a slow braise of beef in red Burgundy wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots and aromatic herbs. Born as a peasant dish, it is today a symbol of slow cooking that turns simple ingredients into a celebration of flavors.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 kg beef (shoulder), cut into large pieces (~5 cm)
• 150 g smoked bacon (lardons), cut into sticks
• 200 g champignon mushrooms, sliced
• 12–15 pearl onions (shallots), peeled
• 2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 500 ml dry red wine (Bourgogne or Pinot Noir)
• 250 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil + 30 g butter
• 1 bouquet garni: bay leaf, rosemary, thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation steps

1. Marinating (optional, but recommended): Place the beef pieces in a dish with the red wine, garlic and bouquet garni for 2–4 hours (or overnight in the fridge).
2. Heat the oven to 160°C. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper, season with salt and pepper and toss in the flour.
3. In a heavy lidded pot (ideally a Dutch oven), fry the bacon until crispy and set aside. In the same pot over high heat, sear the beef pieces on all sides until golden; set aside.
4. Lower the heat, add the carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms; fry 5–6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 more minute.
5. Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Pour in the red wine (with the marinade if used) and the beef stock. Add the bouquet garni.
6. Cover with the lid and braise in the oven for 2.5–3 hours, until the beef is so tender it melts in the mouth.
7. If the sauce is too thin, cook 10–15 minutes uncovered over heat until it thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or fresh bread.

Time and servings

Prep: 30 minutes (+ 2–4 hours optional marinating) • Cooking: ~3 hours • Servings: 6