Beef Bourguignon

Stewed beef in red wine sauce with onions

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City/Region: France

Time Period: 1885

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Originally a peasant dish, early beef bourguignon was a sauce for leftover stewed beef. Elevated and popularized by the father of French haute cuisine, Auguste Escoffier, it shortly thereafter made the transition from a sauce to stew, and beef bourguignon was further popularized by cooking icon Julia Child.

This recipe from 1885 is for the sauce version, and it is just as delicious as the modern stew. It’s a little more wine-forward and a little less sweet, the meat is fall-apart tender, and the onions are my favorite part. If you have some leftover cooked beef like a roast or short ribs, this sauce is a great way to jazz it up. Otherwise, make the stewed beef as instructed in the recipe below because the sauce is absolutely worth it.

“Boeuf Bourguignonne.
Brown a piece of pork belly, diced, in butter; add a little flour, salt, and pepper, and add a mixture of half broth and half red wine; add a few small white onions, well peeled; let cook for 20 minutes, then add to this sauce your stewed beef, cut into slices. When the meat is well heated through, serve with the sauce.”

— La Bonne Cuisine Pour Tous ou l’Art de Bien Vivre a Bon Marché by Marcel Butler, 1885

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Ingredients:

Stewed Beef

• 3 pounds (1.3 kg) beef, such as chuck roast, short ribs, oxtail, or any other cut that is delicious when cooked for a long time
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil
• 1 quart (1 L) beef broth
• 1 bouquet garni*, I used thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 1/2 pound (225 g) diced pork belly or lardons
• 3 tablespoons (25 g) flour
• Large pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups (475 ml) red Burgundy wine, plus more if desired (you might end up using the whole bottle)
• 2 cups (475 ml) reserved beef broth from cooking the stewed beef, or new beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) small white onions or pearl onions**

*Grab some of your favorite fresh herbs and tie them together into a small bundle with some kitchen twine.

**You can also use regular white onion chopped into chunks about the size of a pearl onion.

Instructions:

1. For the stewed beef: Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the beef, then let the pieces sit out for 30 minutes, or leave them in the fridge overnight. You can leave the meat in larger pieces or cut them up.
2. Heat the clarified butter or olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the beef and brown the pieces on all sides.
3. Add the beef broth along with enough water so that the meat is fully covered. Add the bouquet garni. Bring the pot to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to a low boil, cover the pot, and simmer until cooked through and tender, about 90 minutes to 4 hours depending on the size of the pieces of beef. If it’s one large piece, it’ll be closer to 4 hours to cook all the way through.
4. When the beef is done, remove the meat from the pot and save 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
5. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over high heat, then add the pork belly. Stir it around as it cooks and let most of the fat render out, about 8 to 10 minutes. When most of the fat has rendered out and the pork belly pieces are nice and brown, remove them from the pot.
6. Lower the heat to medium-high, then stir in the flour. Stir constantly and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flour mixture has browned and smells nutty. Stir in the salt and pepper, then stir in the beef broth and wine. Be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the pork belly back into the pot.
7. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then add the onions. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the onions are nice and tender. The sauce will thicken as it cooks, and feel free to add more red wine to get a consistency and flavor that you like.
8. If needed, cut the stewed beef into large bite-sized pieces, then add them to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meat is warmed through, then serve it forth.

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