adapted
I’ve been making this recipe for several years and it never disappoints. Beef (Boeuf) Bourguignon is a favorite thing to cook when we head up to the Catskills in the Fall. It’s comfort food at its finest.
The cookbook is very obscure and I don’t even think its in print any longer. I’m originally from Walnut Creek, California, and somehow my family discovered the cookbook back in the late eighties. Maybe someone was in the Junior League of Palo Alto? Mystery! This cookbook contains many favorites so I’ll be sure to share from it again.
Serves 6; Prep 1 hour, Baking 3 hours
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck in 1 1/2 in cubes
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 4 tbs butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 c cognac
- 1/4 lb preferably think cut bacon, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 leek, coarsely chopped
- 1 large, yellow onions chopped
- 3 tbs chopped fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp thyme or several sprigs fresh
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 c red wine
- 2 cups beef broth or more to cover the beef (I prefer to use beef bone broth as the natural collagen makes the broth more viscous.)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 20 small white onions
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3/4 lbs button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- lemon juice
- chopped fresh parsley
Combine flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge meat. In a large, heavy skillet, over high heat, brown meat on all sides in butter and oil. You will need to do this in several batches adding butter and oil as needed. (My dutch oven is my favorite for this as I can use the same pot for the entire prep as well as cooking.)
As meat is browned, place it in a large casserole dish. Deglaze skillet by pouring warmed cognac into the pan and loosening any particles from the pan. Pour over the meat. (If using a dutch oven, just put meat to the side in a bowl or on a plate.)
In the same skillet, add the bacon, garlic, carrots, leeks, chopped onions, and parsley. Cook, stirring until bacon and vegetables are lightly browned. Add bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste to skillet, stir, and cook for a few minutes. If using the casserole dish, add vegetable mixture to the beef. If using a dutch oven add the beef back into the pot. Add wine and enough beef broth to barely cover the meat and mix well. Cover and bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees or you can leave on the range at very low heat. The slower it cooks, the more tender the beef will become. Make sure it’s never boiling but is at a nice simmer. Add more beef broth as necessary.
While beef is cooking, prep the onions and mushrooms. Peel the white onions by dropping them in boiling water for 1 minute. Cut off ends of onion and it should pop out of its skin. (See here for a tutorial.) Sauté the white onions in 4 tbsp butter and the sugar shaking the pan to caramelize the onions as evenly as possible. Pour a small amount of broth, or water over them and simmer covered for 10 mins until they are just tender. Put aside. Sauté the mushrooms in 4 tbsp butter until lightly browned. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Taste the beef for seasoning at the two-hour mark adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms and onions to the beef mixture and cook one more hour until the beef is tender.
Skim any fat from the surface of the casserole and remove the bay leaf. Taste again for seasoning. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with a beautiful loaf of bread or hot buttered egg noodles and a tossed green salad. And don’t forget the bottle of wine!!!
Note: For those with gluten intolerance, the flour is used to make the stew thicker. I would recommend using bone broth to start and then if needed add cornstarch to make the stew thicker. Send me a note if you need help. xo
