SPRING 2025

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Boeuf Bourguignon 

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

There are so many Classic French dishes but perhaps Boeuf Bourguignon would be number one when thinking of a classic. We have the dish on our menu which is often chosen by our guests who enjoy the rich red wine beef sauce with very tender beef. 

Ingredients -

1kg - Beef chuck steak cut in 3 to 4 cm cubes. ( Ideally beef has fat marbling through it to be extra tender when cooked )

Plain flour

4/6 Carrots

6/8 Shallots

8/10 Paris mushrooms

2 Garlic cloves coarsely chopped

2 litres Beef stock ( if using stock cubes - about 5/6 I also add a spoon full of Bovril)

1/2 bottle red wine (drinkable Burgundy wine not cooking wine)  

3 table spoons Worcestershire sauce

2 table spoons Cognac or Calvados

Table spoon tomato purée

Bouquet de Garni of herbs

Salt and pepper

Trim beef cubes of any sinews and excess fat, but no all the fat as this is important to make beef tender.

Mix beef cubes in seasoned flour (Plain flour will help thicken the sauce)

In a heavy casserole dish fry the beef cubes in olive oil and in batches, turning so each side is browned.

In a separate frying pan fry the bacon lardons until nicely coloured but not crisp. Chop carrots, peel shallots.

Having coloured the beef, pour a small amount of the red wine and garlic into the casserole pan, scrape the bottom to de-glaze the pan.

Add all the boeuf to the pan and the rest of the red wine. Stir as the wine sauce thickens then add the carrots, shallots, bacon lardons and the Bouquet de Garni. Add the beef stock and season. Finally add the Tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and Cognac/Calvados.

Bring to the boil, then cover and place in oven at 150c.

To make the beef beautifully tender cook long and slow (3 hours)

Lightly Pan fry the mushrooms in butter and add to the casserole for the final 30 minutes of cooking time.

Remove a piece of the beef to check the beef is melt in the mouth. If not, give the casserole a bit longer. Check seasoning to taste.

Remove the bouquet de Garni and its ready to enjoy. This can be made the day before and re-heated or good to freeze.

Suggest complimenting the Beef Bourguignon with buttery mash potatoes and green beans in butter and chopped garlic.