Classic Beef Bourguignon (Boeuf Bourguignon)

You will also love my Chunky Beef Casserole

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If there’s a recipe that SCREAMS comfort food more than Classic Beef Bourguignon then I haven’t met it yet… If you haven’t made this classic French recipe before you are in for SUCH a treat.

OMG delicious isn’t a strong enough word to describe this rich beef stew. You just have to make it yourselves and come back to me with a better adjective!

What Is Beef Bourguignon?

A classic French stew also known as Boeuf Bourguignon, Burgundy Beef or Bœuf à la Bourguignonne. In this recipe the beef is cooked in beef stock and wine, typically a Burgundy, which is where the name comes from. Other ingredients include bacon, carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms.

In most recipes the shallots and mushrooms are prepared separately and added to the stew towards the end of the cooking. If you are not a fan of whole shallots (or pearl onions) you can leave those out. I wouldn’t skip the mushrooms though!

If you are avoiding meat but still want to try this recipe, my Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon is delicious and quicker to make!

Which Beef Cut to Use

You need to choose a cut of beef that’s suitable for slow cooking. Stewing beef, chuck steak and brisket are good choices for this stew. My favourite is braising steak which I got from Donald Russell – good quality beef will make a HUGE difference to the overall flavour.

Make sure you pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season it with salt and pepper before browning in a hot pan. Sear the beef until nicely coloured on all sides and scrape any browned bits into the sauce for maximum flavour.

Choose the Right Wine

Some Bourguignon recipes use an entire bottle of red wine. This creates a very dark sauce which can be a bit much… I prefer to use one cup of wine (250ml) and three cups (750ml) of rich beef stock (broth).

Choosing a good quality wine is paramount in getting the best tasting Bourguignon. Avoid cooking and cheap red wines which can be very acidic. Go for a good Burgundy – or failing that a Merlot. I used a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet (Apothic Red).

Slimming Variation

The authentic version of Boeuf Bourguignon contains quite a few SYNS thanks to the wine, oil, butter and bacon… Thankfully it is easy to make Slimming World friendly with a few swaps. Take a look at the suggestions below – more details in the recipe card. The slimmed down version contains 10 Syns so only 2-4 Syns per serving depending on how many servings you get out of this recipe (I have specified 6-8).

• Replace butter and oil with a low calorie cooking spray such as Fry Light
• Trim the beef of all visible fat
• Use lean back bacon, trimmed of fat
• Reduce the wine from 1 cup (250ml) to ½ cup (125ml) which is 6-6.5 syns overall

Beef Bourguignon Step by Step

STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Cut the beef into large chunks, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Prepare the shallots – put in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for a few minutes. Peel the skin off and remove the root end with a knife (if you can’t be bothered you can use ready peeled frozen pearl onions).

STEP 2. Pan fry the bacon in a large lidded casserole dish or Dutch Oven. Cook for a couple of minutes until nicely coloured then use a slotted spoon to set aside.

STEP 3. Sear the beef in the hot pan, in batches, until nicely browned on all sides. Set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little stock scraping any browned bits loose. Add to the beef and wipe pan clean.

STEP 4. Add a little butter to the pan and sauté then onion and carrots for 5 minutes until softened.

STEP 5. Add the flour, stirring well and cook for a couple of minutes.

STEP 6. Return the beef and bacon to the pan and add the wine, stock and tomato paste. Add the bouquet garni (1 stick celery, 1 bay leaf, sprig thyme and a couple parsley stalks tied together with string) and bring to a simmer.

STEP 7. Cover and transfer to the oven and set a timer for 70 minutes – this is when you need to prepare the shallots and mushrooms.

STEP 8.When the timer goes off, heat butter in a frying pan and pan fry the shallots for 10 minutes over low heat until caramelised. Set aside.

STEP 9. Add garlic to same frying pan and stir until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté until nicely coloured, about 5 minutes.

STEP 10. Take the stew out of the oven, careful it will be very hot!, and stir in the shallots and mushrooms. Cover and cook for a further 30-50 minutes until the beef is perfectly tender.

STEP 11. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.

Instant Pot Method

STEP 1. Heat the oil in your pressure cooker (I use a 6L Instant Pot) using the Sauté function. Brown the beef, in batches, until nicely coloured then set aside (you can also do this in a pan).

STEP 2. Add the bacon and cook until coloured. Set aside.

STEP 3. Deglaze the pot with a little stock. Sauté the onion, carrots and shallots for 5 minutes.

STEP 4. Stir in the flour then add the beef, bacon, wine, stock, bouquet garni and tomato paste.

STEP 5. Cover, set vent to sealing and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes.

STEP 6. Leave the pressure to release manually for 10 minutes while you pan fry the mushrooms and garlic for 10 minutes in a frying pan.

STEP 7. Release the pressure and remove the bouquet garni. Stir in the mushrooms. If the sauce needs to be reduced, select Sauté and cook with the lid off for 10 minutes or until it thickens.

Slow Cooker Instructions

STEP 1. Cut the beef into large chunks, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2. Pan fry the bacon in a large casserole dish or Dutch Oven. Cook for a couple of minutes until nicely coloured then use a slotted spoon to set aside.

STEP 3. Sear the beef in the hot pan, in batches, until nicely browned on all sides. Set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little stock scraping any browned bits loose. Add to the beef and wipe pan clean.

STEP 4. Add a little butter to the pan and sauté then onion, shallots and carrots for 5 minutes until softened.

STEP 5. Add the flour, stirring well and cook for a couple of minutes.

STEP 6. Return the beef and bacon to the pan and add the wine, stock and tomato paste. Add the bouquet garni (1 stick celery, 1 bay leaf, sprig thyme and a couple parsley stalks tied together with string) and bring to a simmer.

STEP 7. Transfer everything to your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or High for 6 (this is the type of recipe that can cook most of the day).

STEP 8. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

STEP 9. Just before you are ready to serve, heat butter in a frying pan, add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté until nicely coloured, about 10 minutes.

STEP 10. Serve the Beef Bourguignon over mashed potatoes, pasta or rice with the mushrooms on top. Garnish with the parsley.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• You can find fresh Bouquet Garni prepared and ready for use in some supermarkets. There’s also pre-packed sachets you can use as well.
• SERVING SUGGESTIONS Mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up some of that saucy goodness! Rice or noodles (pasta) are also good, so the choice is up to you!
• HOW LONG DOES IT KEEP IN THE FRIDGE? This stew keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge with the flavours become even better!
• CAN I FREEZE BEEF BOURGUIGNON? Yes, it freezes beautifully! Cool completely, divide into portions, label and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and heat on the stove until the stew is bubbling and hot all the way through before serving.

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