We’ve been sitting on this recipe for over a year. We’ve been waiting for the perfect time to share this recipe and now is the time. The weather is cool and kind of dreary and it’s perfect weather for Beef Stew or if you’re being classy, Boeuf Bourguignon. Which is beef cooked in a red wine sauce, which is basically pretentious beef stew.

The dish itself originated in the Burgundy region of France which in French is pronounced Bourgogne. Get it? Boeuf (Beef) Bourgogne (Burgundy)? Magic! The Burgundy region is located South-East of Paris. Tons of well known  dishes come from the Burgundy region like Coq Au Vin, which is basically, according to Julia, the same dish as Boeuf Bourguignon, but with chicken. Escargot, Persille Ham, and Pain d’épices (spice bread or gingerbread) to name a few also come out of the Burgundy region.

Boeuf Bourguignon is a wonderful dish for the fall and winter months because it is hardy, warm and will keep you full for hours. The dish is prepared by braising the beef in a red wine and beef stock, and you traditionally use a burgundy wine. According to Julia the wine doesn’t need to be expensive because you’re cooking it, not drinking it. So don’t worry about getting a fancy bottle of wine for this dish. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if your wine is expensive or not.

What’s funny about this dish is it started out as a peasants dish  because traditionally tougher cuts of meats were used, but while braising they became tender. But over the years the dish grew into “haute cuisine” and became a classic staple in French Cooking.

Julia Child once said that Boeuf Bourguignon was ,”certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man”.

And you know what? We have to agree. We’ve actually spent a lot of time working on this recipe and  are really excited to share it with you. If you have the time, we also suggest googling Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and watching the very first episode of the The French Chef . She’s so incredibly funny and is a riot to watch.

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TYL’s BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Ingredients

Beef

• Olive Oil
• 4 lbs of stewing beef
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 bottles of red wine, traditionally Pinot Noir (Which is what Julia used)
• Beef stock
• 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped finely
• 1 bay leaf
• 20 baby carrots, cut in half˙

Mushrooms and onions

• 20 pearl onions, peeled
• 1 lb of mushrooms, chopped
• olive oil
• butter

Sauce

• cooking liquid
• 2-3 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of softened butter

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F, and heat olive oil in a heavy bottom pot to brown meat.

Step 2: Dry meat on paper towels before browning. Make sure you dry all sides so it browns properly.  Don’t crowd the meat in the pot, make sure each one has it’s personal space.

Cook for about 5 minutes total. Place meat on a plate with paper towels to soak up any oil. Pour excess oil into heatproof container to cool and dispose of later.

Step 3: Deglaze pot with the bottle of red wine, add garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste, rosemary, sliced onions and carrots.

Step 4: Return the beef to the pot, add beef stock (enough to make sure the beef is just covered. Stick it in the oven for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.

Step 5: While the beef is in the oven, you will prepare the mushrooms and onions.

In a saucepan, put about half an inch of water, enough to cover half of the pearl onions. Add 1 tablespoon of butter (we used our Rosemary butter) to the water.  Put the pearl onions in the pan, bring it to a simmer, cover it for 25 minutes.  Set aside for later.

Step 6: In a sauté pan, put some olive oil and tablespoon of butter, let the butter foam subside, then put in the mushrooms (make sure they are dry) and sauté over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes. Set aside for later.

Step 7: Take the beef pot out of the oven and safely pour it into a colander and the juices back into the pot. In a small bowl, put in 2 tablespoons of flour and a tablespoon of softened butter, mix it around until it creates a paste. Add butter/flour mixture to the juices. Put it back on medium heat until the juices thicken, about a minute or two.

Step 8: After the sauce has thickened, add the meat and friends back to the pot and add the mushrooms and pearl onions. Mix it all together and let it stay on the heat for 5 more minutes to let everyone get to know each other. VIOLA! Now eat this ridiculously flavorful beef stew!