Boeuf Bourguignonne
Submitted by recc
Classic boeuf bourguignonne with beef marinated in red wine, braised until fork-tender, then finished with caramelized pearl onions, mushrooms, and ripe tomatoes. The crown jewel of French comfort cooking.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is the dish that made a generation of Americans fall in love with French cooking.
Beef cubes get a long soak in red wine with thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and vegetables. After marinating for up to 24 hours, the meat is patted dry, seared hard, then braised low and slow in that same strained marinade enriched with beef broth and tomato paste.
Two and a half hours in the oven transforms tough round steak into something that yields at the nudge of a fork.
Near the end, caramelized pearl onions, sauteed mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes join the party, adding pops of sweetness and earthy depth to the wine-dark sauce.
Chef Tips
- Marinate for the full 24 hours if you can. The longer the beef sits in the wine, the more tender and flavorful it becomes.
- Pat the beef completely dry after draining the marinade. Wet meat steams instead of browning, and you need that sear for flavor.
- Deglaze the skillet after browning the beef. Those brown bits stuck to the pan are concentrated flavor, and the marinade lifts them right off.
- Use a decent drinking wine, not cooking wine. If you wouldn’t pour yourself a glass of it, don’t braise your beef in it.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine wine, olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf.
Slice one onion, one carrot, one clove of garlic, and celery.
Add to wine mixture.
Marinate beef in this mixture for at least two hours and up to 24 hours.
Turn occasionally. Remove meat and pat it dry.
Strain marinade and reserve.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy skillet.
Brown the meat quickly on all sides.
Remove meat to a two-quart baking dish .
Deglaze skillet with ¼ cup reserved marinade and add to baking dish.
Chop remaining onions, carrot, and garlic finely.
Melt two tablespoons butter in skillet and sauté the garlic, onions and carrot until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).
Blend in flour and stir one minute.
Add marinade and broth and tomato paste.
Stir until mixture comes to a boil.
Pour over meat.
Cover, cook in 350-degree oven for 2½ hours.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet and sauté white onions with salt and sugar until golden.
Add mushrooms and sauté for two minutes more.
Add white onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes to beef.
Continue to bake for 10 more minutes.
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