I love it when the authentic French beef bourguignon is melting. It’s a complete dish with proteins, starches and vegetables that simmers for a total of 5 hours on very low heat and the meat is super melting! It’s a real delight!
For this, it is important to choose a good piece of meat. A quality meat, but also a meat that tenderizes during a slow cooking…
Beef bourguignon takes its name from the beef and the red wine, Burgundy, which compose it. You will have understood, this dish is emblematic of Burgundy and its soil! A region where good beef is made, but also an excellent wine. The meat is marinated in wine with herbs and spices. This marinade will allow tenderizing the meat and to perfume it.
For even better beef, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. It keeps it more tender and avoid thermal shock between the meat and the heat of the pan.
Which piece of meat for the beef bourguignon ?
To make a successful beef bourguignon, I recommend using the gîte à la noix or the gîte, the pot-au-feu pieces of meat such as the chuck, the scorer and the twine, or the collar, a soft and tasty piece.
What is the best meat for a beef bourguignon?
For a tender meat, you need fat, so choose a piece of beef that is streaky, such as the tendon or the rib steak. On the other hand, the traditional recipe recommends combining three types of meat: a lean piece (chuck or heel), a gelatinous piece (oxtail) and a fatty piece.
Which wine to use to make a beef bourguignon?
It is logical to use a Burgundy wine to make this stewed meat recipe. However, given the price of Burgundy wines in recent years. One can easily go for Bordeaux or Rhône wines (North or South) or even Roussillon. It is important to have a red wine that will pleasantly flavor the meat. But there is no need to pay too much for it. It is better to reserve this for the wine that will accompany the dish!
The red wine is inseparable from the boeuf bourguignon because it is one of the 2 major ingredients. The alcohol will evaporate during cooking, so you won’t have any caloric intake due to its presence!
How to make a good beef bourguignon?
Beef bourguignon is a Burgundian dish, traditionally cooked with red Burgundy wine. In this dish, you have mushrooms, onions and bacon. Here is the recipe for my favorite bourguignon. Of course, there can be variations in this family cooking. The real recipe of beef bourguignon, for me, is the one that makes us happy! Here is my version, coming from my Grandma. Read my tips for making boeuf bourguignon successfully at the bottom of the recipe.
Preparation time:
45 minutes Cooking time: 5-6 hours
Marinating time: 12 hours
Portions: 6 people
Ingredients:
600 g of beef chuck
300 g of heel
100g beef rind ( beef skin)
4 medium carrots
1 big onion(s)
4 cloves of garlic
3 clove(s)
Nutmeg
3-4 juniper berries
2-3 tbsp. flour
Ground pepper
Thyme
Bay leaf
Olive oil
Zest of orange
1 bottle of red wine
Salt
200 g bacon
300g mushrooms
2 cubs of beef broth for 50 cl 1/2 of liter of water
Step 1
Cut the beef into 3 to 4 cm cubes. Peel and cut the onions in large slices. For the garlic do not remove the skin just smash it. Peel and cut the carrots into not too thin slices. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except for the bacon, skin beef and mushrooms and cover with red wine. Marinate for a minimum of 12 hours. The longer this step, the more fragrant your meat will be.
Step 2
In a large casserole with oil. Add the whole onions first, fry them, remove them and add the bacon to fry it. When golden, remove with a skimmer and set aside. In another pan, cook all the mushrooms that you let apart.
Step 3
In the same pot where you fried onions and bacon, brown the meat pieces over high heat. Add the carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Step 4
When the meat is well browned, sprinkle with flour (60g) and let it brown while stirring.
Step 5
Pour the broth (that you will have prepared by melting the 2 cubes of meat broth in 50 cl of boiling water) and all the wine from the marinade. Scrape off the juices. Put the bacon and onions back into the pot. If you found the beef skin, add it. Its action will be like gelatin, your sauce will be tastier and with a better consistency. Pour the red wine. Add salt and pepper, the bouquet garni and the crushed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer gently for 3 hours (small broths). Then uncover to let evaporated the sauce, and make a beautiful reduction for several hours again.
To finish
At the end of this time, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another half hour. Remove the bouquet garni and pour into a dish. Serve with pasta (tagliatelle for example), or steamed potatoes (the sauce should be bound, but not thick; if not, add a little more water).
What wine to drink with a beef bourguignon ?
You will need a red wine with a good concentration and enough substance to support the strong flavors of the beef bourguignon, especially if the sauce has been reduced and therefore concentrated. However, be careful to choose a wine with a certain tension and fine tannins, so as not to fall into a heavy agreement, you need a fresh finish.
The first idea is to recommend a Burgundy wine, such as Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Nuits-Saint-George or Beaune.
However, you can go elsewhere in France if you feel like it: in the Northern Rhône with Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Hermitage or St-Joseph, or in Languedoc-Roussillon with Minervois, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages wines.
Why is the meat of my beef bourguignon hard?
The meat is hard at the base. It is when it is cooked that it will soften… So to avoid missing your boeuf bourguignons, your carbonates, your pots au feu, cook for a long long time ( minimum 5 hours) and gently (if it is too strong, the meat loses its water and dries out) in a liquid (water, beer, wine, broth etc.).
The secret of the best authentic French beef Bourguignon :
Serve it the next day, it’s better reheated! There is no limit on the cooking time, reheat and reheat again, it will more tender, the sauce will be better favored.
You want to cook it with me ?
Let’s do it together by booking a cooking class.
Why not trying my recipes on Airbnb experiences ? here is the links
👩🍳 ONLINE COOKING CLASSES BY EMMA
🥞AUTHENTIC APPLE CREPE
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🍰MAGIC CAKE : French modern cuisine
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🧅ONION SOUP
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🥒FRENCH RATATOUILLE
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🥧THE FRENCH APPLE PIE : tarte Tatin
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