Boeuf Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy is a classic dish from the French countryside which has seen a recent surge in popularity since the movie Julie & Julia.  I sought out to discover what makes this dish so special.  The dish is essentially a beef stew.  It is both simple and complex at the same time.  There are many steps, yet no step is very difficult.  Boeuf Bourguignon is for those who enjoy being in the kitchen as it is a time consuming recipe. It is a recipe where you are slowly adding and building layers of flavor.  It can be a highly enjoyable recipe for foodies, as you take simple ingredients and build them into something special. 

The recipe that I use I learned at the Viking cooking school with some modifications.  You will need the following:

·        6 slices of regular bacon. Preferably an unflavored variety cut into thin strips

·        ½ pound of cremini mushrooms

·        2 lbs of boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1 inch cubes

·        1 medium onion diced

·        3 cloves of minced garlic

·        1 ½ teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme

·        2 Bay Leaves

·        1/3 cup of brandy (optional)

·        1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste

·        ½ lb of carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 inch lengths

·        2-3 cups of dry red wine.  I use Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir

·        2 cups of beef stock

·        ½ lb of frozen pearl onions

·        3 table spoons of beurre manie (This is 2 tablespoons of flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of softened butter)

·        2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

·        Olive Oil as needed

·        Salt & Pepper to taste

The key to this recipe is to have your mise en place which is the French term for having everything in place. Organize and prep all of your ingredients and have them ready and available before you begin. Also, be patient during each step.  This is not a recipe that can be rushed.  Take your time and relax.  Have a glass of wine. This should be fun! 

1. Place a large pot (At least 5 quarts) over medium heat.  Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally to ensure the bacon doesn’t stick.  Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate.  You should have a fair amount of fat from the bacon still in the pan.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid, the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl using a spoon and set aside until later. 
3. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper.  The next step will be to begin browning the beef.  You want a good sear and a nice brown color to the meat.  In order to do this properly you want to ensure you do not overcrowd the meat in the pan. Overcrowding will just cause the meat to steam and you will not get the proper flavors or color.  Cook the meat in 3 different batches to ensure it sears properly.  First ensure you are on medium-high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and let it get hot before you add the beef to the pan.  Then gently place the beef into the pan.  At any time during this process, add more olive oil to the pan if necessary.  Be sure to leave the beef alone for a couple of minutes to ensure you get a good sear, and then rotate the meat until it is browned on all sides.  Remove the beef from the pan and transfer to a clean plate.  Repeat until all of the beef has been browned. Set aside the beef until later.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and if needed add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Stir in the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic, thyme, and bayleaf, and cook for one additional minute.
5. Here is where the recipe gets flashy if you have brandy on hand.  If you try this method, be very careful as the flames will shoot very high. Not the best for the at home kitchen, do not do it if you have a microwave or hood directly over your oven. Only try this if nothing is overhead. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.  Make sure you turn off the oven, and then add the brandy to the pot.  Stir in the brandy and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.  These brown bits will aid in the flavor of the stew.  Carefully ignite the brandy. Gently shake the pot until the flames subside using utmost caution here.  After the flames subside you may turn the stove back on to medium heat.  If you do not have brandy, deglaze the pan using a cup of the red wine.  Bring the wine to a boil and then reduce the liquid down.  After either method, add in the tomato paste and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. 
6. Here there are also two methods. If you are using a Dutch oven you can place the whole pot into the oven at 325 degrees, however I cook the entire dish on top of the stove.  Add the browned beef back into the pot with all of its juices.  Also, add the cooked bacon and the carrots.  Add 2 cups of the wine and 2 cups of the beef stock. Stir all of the ingredients together and bring to a boil.  Lower the temperature to a simmer; cover the pot and cook until the beef and vegetables are very tender. The longer the better, but at least 2 hours. About halfway through the cooking time add the frozen pearl onions. The frozen onions are a bit of a shortcut, to avoid having to peel all of the pearl onions.  I found no difference in the flavor using these onions.
7. After cooking for a couple of hours, ladle 1 cup of the stew into a small sauté pan and whisk in the beurre manie until completely combined.  Stir this mixture back into the boeuf bourguignon and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  This step helps slightly thicken the stew and also adds a bit of richness as well.  If you want it slightly thicker, you can repeat the same step again. 
8. Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and add the mushrooms into the pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley.

As you can see, the recipe has quite a number of steps and may even seem a bit daunting to just read.  However, the overall preparation is relatively simple and as long as you prepare in advance and have plenty of time you will be well rewarded for your efforts.  The dish uses affordable ingredients, (you can skip the brandy) can be prepared in advance, and serves enough for a group.  Making the dish really gives you an insight into French cooking and can prepare you well for making other French dishes as well.  Remember as Julia Child said, “Do not be Afraid!”  Boeuf Bourguignon may be the key to finding your inner foodie. 

Start with the your mise en place




Begin cooking the bacon

Then mushrooms