Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

No ratings yet

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Tender, fall-apart chunks of beef simmered in a rich red wine sauce with bacon, vegetables, and herbs—this Beef Bourguignon is the ultimate cozy dinner. It’s a classic French dish that’s surprisingly simple to make at home, and every step is worth it!

Prep Time40

Cook Time4

Total Time4 40

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: people

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon roughly chopped
3 pounds beef brisket chuck roast, or stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks and trimmed of fat
1 large carrot sliced ½-inch thick
1 large white onion diced
6 cloves garlic minced (divided)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup small pearl onions
3 cups red wine Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti; use 2 cups for a milder sauce
2 to 3 cups beef stock use 3 cups if using 2 cups of wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon bouillon base or granules
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (divided)
2 bay leaves
1 pound white mushrooms quartered
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Cook the Bacon

In a large Dutch oven, add the bacon and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Brown the Beef

Pat beef chunks dry with paper towels. Working in batches, sear them in the hot bacon fat until browned on all sides. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.

Sauté Vegetables

In the same pot, sauté the carrots and onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add 4 cloves of garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Drain off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Build the Stew Base

Return the bacon and beef to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the flour, stir well, and cook for 4–5 minutes to slightly brown the flour.
Add the pearl onions, wine, and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Stir in tomato paste, bouillon, thyme, 1 tablespoon parsley, and bay leaves.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the stove.

Oven Braise

Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the lower part of your oven. Let it simmer slowly for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Cook the Mushrooms

In the last 5 minutes of oven time, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Strain & Finish the Sauce

Remove the pot from the oven. Set a colander over a large bowl or clean pot and strain the stew, reserving the liquid.
Discard the bay leaves and herbs. Return the beef and vegetables to the Dutch oven and top with the cooked mushrooms.
Skim off any fat from the surface of the reserved sauce and simmer it for 1–2 minutes. You should have about 2½ cups of thick, glossy sauce that lightly coats the back of a spoon.
If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of stock.
If too thin, simmer it on the stove for 5–10 minutes until reduced.
Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Pour the sauce back over the beef and vegetables.

Serve

Simmer gently on the stove for 2–3 minutes to reheat. Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley and serve hot with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread.

Make-Ahead Option

To make ahead, allow the dish to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently the next day over medium-low heat, simmering for 10-20 until heated through (stirring very often and keeping the lid on; you can add a splash of beef broth as needed while reheating so that it doesn't get too thick).

Notes

Straining The Fat: This is Julia Child's recipe and I wanted to write it as she has it written. That being said. I often do not strain the sauce and remove the fat. I'll often just cook the whole dish in the oven for an extra 10-20 minutes with the lid off to reduce the sauce a bit without having to strain it. If you are using an extra fatty cut of chuck roast you might end up with too much fat but honestly it's so good with the fat not strained.

Classic Sides: I always serve this over mashed potatoes AND with a side of homemade baguettes (easier than you'd think!). I think the mashed potatoes help cut some of the richness and make it a complete meal but the bread is the perfect side to mop up all that delightful sauce.

My Wine To Broth Ratio: I don't cook with a lot of wine and so I normally only make this with the 2 cups of red wine and the rest beef broth.

Pearl Onions: You can find pearl onions in the frozen section of most large grocery stores with the other frozen vegetables and they are way easier to use than raw (you don't have to peel the tiny onions!).

How I Handle The Long Cook Time: Buy the good beef for this recipe and cook it until it is fall apart tender. I almost always cook it the full 3 hours, let it cook another 20 minutes with the lid off, and then place the lid back on and just leave it in the hot oven until I'm ready to serve it.

I normally prepare the dish in the early afternoon and then just let it cook away. It's such a great dish to serve on special occasions and it's nice that you can clean up the mess before everyone gets here. All that is left at the end is cooking the mushrooms and stirring them in!

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.