Jan 2, 2025 4 min read Food Corner

Food | The ultimate boeuf bourguignon recipe

Ingredients for 6 Servings:

600g (1.3 lbs) of beef, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of olive oil
50g (1.7 oz) of lard or bacon, diced (I didn’t have any this time, but it’s worth adding!)
1, 2, or 3 glasses of red wine 😉 (boxed wine works too!)
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 to 2 carrots, sliced diagonally (it looks more elegant, people!)
300g (10.5 oz) of mushrooms (Paris or Marron variety), quartered
1 beef bouillon cube + boiled water, or 500mL (2 cups) of broth
1 tablespoon of tomato paste/purée
2 bay leaves
Chopped parsley
Salt, pepper, and bread

Cooking Time: It takes a long time, believe me. Sip on some wine during the process.

Start by sautéing the meat coated in flour in olive oil. This step seals the meat, giving it color and flavor thanks to caramelization. Once the meat is nicely browned, remove it and set it aside.

Now we’ve got a richly browned base in the pan, right? Don’t wash it—this is the gold of the recipe. Pour a bit of wine into the pan to deglaze it and loosen all those flavorful bits, and move on to the next step.

Add the onion and the bacon. Let it reduce, then add the garlic. Don’t add the garlic at the same time as the onion—it’s overly dramatic and burns too quickly.

Once the onion has softened, add the carrots, mushrooms, and bay leaf. Return the meat to the pan and mix. Add the tomato paste, pepper, and mix again. Now add the broth and the wine (wine isn’t essential... Actually, yes, it is. Add one glass or three, depending on how much wine you’ve got left after sipping during the process).

Here’s the secret, le secret, the trick, le truc (LOL! The translation is purposely off, don’t worry, the French don’t have many tricks): lower the heat and cover the pan. It took me years to figure this out. I always used to keep it at high heat to speed things up, but no—the secret is to lower the temperature, cover it, and sip on your wine while watching a reality show. Or several, because this needs to simmer gently for about two hours.

And if you’ve had the patience to wait, you know what happens? The meat will fall apart with just a fork. You don’t need the best cut of meat or the finest wine. Those help, but the secret is patience.

Check for salt. Usually, the beef broth has enough salt, but hey, there’s always someone who likes to add more. Sprinkle some chopped parsley once the cooking is finished, if you’d like.

Sides: Someone asked me about this. I’ve had it with rice, mashed potatoes, and salad. But aside from salad, it’s pretty heavy! Our favorite way to enjoy it is over a slice of rustic-style bread. Now that’s divine—you’ll want to lick the plate clean. Actually, all three plates, because I went back for seconds and thirds.