The Best Boeuf Bourguignon: Julia Child’s
Boeuf Bourguignon, originally a peasant dish from the Burgundy region in France, is a deliciously rich stew made from fat-rich steak cuts such as chuck or flank, browned in olive oil and bacon fat before slowly braised in best-quality red wine with onions, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, garlic and mushrooms, served classically over crushed, baked potatoes. Being one of the most famous French stews of all times and one of the most loved Julia Child recipes, I think boeuf bourguignon should be one of the first recipes a good cook should learn to cook. This is feel-good cooking, done in the classic French way and if you know the secret to making a good boeuf bourguignon, you have already mastered many French cooking techniques. This elegant recipe calls for a hearty celebratory dinner and is a great idea for when you’re having over a crowd. You can prepare it well ahead of time and can be served as a scrumptious family meal or as part of an elegant meal course.
So the secret to a good boeuf bourguignon? In my opinion, there is only one person to turn to: Julia Child. Much loved and respected for her kindness, loving personality, passion for cooking (and eating), teaching Americans to cook and for making French cooking accessible to all, Julia Child set out to teach home cooks the secrets, finesse and excellence of true, classic French cooking. Among many other classic French techniques and recipes, she perfected the “boeuf bourguignon”. Not only does she provide a well balanced, authentic recipe but also teaches the classic techniques involved in cooking this marvelous classic recipe, including the preparation, browning and cooking of different cuts of meat, paring them with wine and making exceptional sauces.
My absolute favorite boeuf bourguignon recipe comes from a one of a kind, pioneering cook book on French cooking, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Birtholle. To make it elegant and to remind that this is a true French classic recipe, it is served with sautéd mushrooms and brown-braised pearl onions, making it a little technical. It does take some time to prepare, but once in the oven you can forget about it for 3-4 hours. I find cooking boeuf bourguignon very enjoyable and relaxing.
There are a few important notes when it comes to making an outstanding stew and I tried to convey them as such. First, following Julia’s guide, I’ll advise you to buy a fattier cut of meat from the front quarter for making any beef stew. Yes, it takes longer to cook but it is the marbling of fat in these cuts that provides exquisite flavor and keeps the meat tender and succulent. As such, my first choice here is good quality chuck, trimmed from the bone and excess fat. You can also skirt, flank or rump steak. The secret is to cook the meat low and slow until it is tender and delicious. Be careful when using leaner cuts as it may easily become, dry, tough and stringy – trust me on this.
The second tip to ensure maximum flavor is to dry the meat well before browning each piece evenly on all sides – take your time here and brown the meat in small batches, in a heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven. It is the process of browning the meat that creates layers of flavors that will develop even further as the stew cooks. Another great way to layer in as much flavor as possible is to brown the meat in a combination of bacon fat and olive oil.
When it comes to the stewing liquid, wine and good quality, brown beef stock is key. Sticking with the recipe, I’d recommend choosing a full bodied red wine such as a merlot or burgundy for cooking and serving. That said, I think a Pinotage would make a great alternative here.
Notes on quantities: I recommend 250g of boneless meat, trimmed of the fat, per person.
Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 250 g streaky bacon (not back bacon) diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.6 kg chuck roast whole, boneless, trimmed of fat
- 1 carrot peeled, sliced
- 1 medium brown or white onion peeled, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp flour
- 600 ml full bodied, young red wine
- 250 + 150 ml brown beef stock divided
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 bay leaf sliced/ pierced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 450 g mushrooms washed, dried, quartered, sautéd (see recipe)
- 18 small pearl onions peeled, brown-braised (see recipe)
- ½ c fresh parsley to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230°C or Gas Mark 8. Dice the bacon - you need the fat from streaky bacon here as we are going to brown the meat and vegetables in the fat. Back bacon will dry out.Simmer the bacon in boiling water for 10 minutes and place on kitchen towl to dry. This removes the excess smokey taste.
- If there is still bone in the steak, trim it of. Do the same for all the excess fat. Cut the stewing steak into 3-cm cubes. Dry the meat thoroughly, using kitchen towl. If the meat isn't dry, it won't brown but steam instead.Note: I recommend using chuck steak as it is marbled with fat that will keep the meat tender and moist. Be careful when using leaner cuts as it may become dry and tough.
- In a heavy-based caserole, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Fry the bacon until golden brown and the fat has cooked out into the olive oil. Remove the bacon and place aside. Now, in the baon fat and in small batches, brown the meat evenly on all sides. Remove from the caserole and add to the bacon. Lower the heat and in the same oil, fry the vegetables until browned. Return the beef and bacon to the caserole and season well.
- Sprinkle over the flour and toss well. Place the caserole, uncovered, in the middle of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss again and return to the oven for 4 minutes more. This helps the flour brown and creates a light crust over the meat. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 160°C or Gas Mark 2.
- Stir in the wine and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer, then cover the caserole and return to the lower rack of the oven. Regulate the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for 3-4 hours. Check every 30 minutes to see if there is still enough liquid in the caserole. Add stock or water if necessary. The meat is done when it is easily pierced with a fork and starts to fall apart. Continue to prepare the onions and mushrooms.
- To sauté the mushrooms, heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the mushrooms for 8 minutes until uniformly browned. Note, at first the mushrooms will absorb the fat but as it starts to brown, the fat will be released again.
- To brown-braise the onions, heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy-based pan until the butter stops foaming, by which it will be hot enough to brown the onions. Add the onions and roll them around in the pan until slightly browned. Add in the 150 ml beef stock (or water) and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until the stock has evaporated and the onions are tender but, importantly, retain their shape. Keep a close eye to prevent overcooking or burning the onions.
- Now, pour the contents of the caserole into a sieve. Return the beef, bacon and vegetables to the caserole. Simmer the cooking liquid for 1-2 minutes, skimming off any excess fat as it rises. You should have about 500 ml of sauce, thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon slightly. If it is too thin, boil for 5 minutes more. If it is too thick, add some stock. Taste for seasoning.
- Arrange the onions and mushrooms over the meat and pour over the sauce. Serve with fresh parsley over baked, crushed potatoes or polenta.
