What cuts of beef to use?
Meat is the main ingredient of beef bourguignon, its choice is therefore essential for the success of the recipe. Be careful, only “braising” pieces of beef are suitable for bourguignon. Don’t even try to use rump steak or fillet, you’ll just waste the product. This slow-cooked dish requires gelatinous pieces like chuck or gîte. The must of the must still remains the beef cheek if you want a tender stew.
Should we marinate meat?
The marinade is the essential tip for barbecue pros. Tenderizing, precooking or flavoring, its advantages are multiple.
For a perfectly tender beef bourguignon, marinate the meat for 12 hours with the wine and herbs. The marinade will then be reused to make the sauce for the dish.
Why does beef bourguignon cook so long?
Everyone knows that beef bourguignon is not a dish that can be improvised.
It is only thanks to slow and gentle cooking that we obtain a stew worthy of our grandmothers. This is particularly due to the particularity of the pieces chosen, rich in collagen. This protein contained in the muscles melts with heat and turns into gelatin. This results in tender meat and a creamy sauce. Allow at least 3 hours of cooking to obtain a result that lives up to the reputation of this classic.
Which wine to choose for beef bourguignon?
When it comes to food and wine pairings, there is a simple rule: focus on the same terroir. For example, we will opt for a Bandol white to accompany a bouillabaisse. For sauerkraut, we will favor an Alsatian grape variety like Riesling. This principle also applies to wine used in cooking. So you guessed it, beef bourguignon requires Burgundy wine. It’s stupid when we say it, but it’s important to emphasize it! It is therefore essential to choose a quality wine so as not to ruin your dish. No need to uncork your best bottle, a Coteaux-Burgundian will do the trick.
Is beef bourguignon without wine possible?
For those who can’t stand the taste of wine, know that it is entirely possible to do without it. Certainly, the recipe loses some of its interest, but that will not prevent you from making a tasty dish.
Simply replace the wine with vegetable or beef broth, added with a spoonful of tomato paste. You can also revisit this Burgundian specialty in Belgian style. With a bottle of beer, the beef bourguignon then takes on accents of Flemish carbonade.
How to sweeten the sauce?
To slightly reduce the acidity of the wine, it is possible to add a spoonful of honey to the sauce. In addition to softening it, this will also accentuate the “candied” side of the meat. You can also slip two squares of dark chocolate into the dish at the end of cooking. It helps bind the sauce while providing a full-bodied side that goes wonderfully with the wine. Finally, a few orange zests added in the marinade or during cooking will bring lightness to this generous dish.
What utensil should I use for cooking?
Remember this: for slow-cooked dishes, nothing beats a good cast iron casserole dish. It ensures gentle and even cooking as required by stews. The cast iron casserole dish is also compatible with all uses: electric hobs, induction hobs, ovens, gas… A pressure cooker could possibly do the trick if you want to save time. Although faster, this cooking method does not allow the meat to properly soak up the sauce.
How to prepare traditional beef bourguignon?
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours 20 minutes
For 4 people
- 1/2 head of garlic
- 2 onions
- 1 carrot
- 1 kg of beef collar and cheek
- 75 cl of full-bodied red wine
- Thyme
- Laurel
- 1 tbsp. heaped tablespoon of flour
- 25g butter
- 10 cl of oil
- 200 g of smoked bacon
- 200 g button mushrooms
The day before: peel the garlic, onions and carrots. Slice the onions and cut the carrot into 2 cm wide sections.
Cut the meat into 4 cm cubes. Marinate the pieces of beef in 75 cl of wine with the thyme, bay leaf, garlic cloves, onions and carrot.
The same day: drain the meat and reserve the marinade. Sprinkle the beef pieces with flour.
Melt the butter with the oil in a casserole dish, place the beef in it and let the cubes brown on each side. Add the marinade (except the carrot) and simmer for 3 hours, covered and over low heat.
40 minutes before the end of cooking, add the carrot sections.
In a pan, grill the bacon, reserve them. Brown the sliced button mushrooms in the same pan.
Add the bacon and mushrooms at the end of cooking. Serve the beef bourguignon with mashed potatoes or fresh pasta.
SOS, the meat of my Burgundy is much too tough!
As we told you above, cooking beef bourguignon is a slow and delicate step. If your meat is too tough when serving, it’s probably because you didn’t leave it on the heat long enough (contradictory, we know). Two options are then available to you: either return your dish to simmer until you obtain the perfect consistency; or, for those in a hurry, add a teaspoon of bicarbonate to the stew. Be careful, we are talking about baking soda for food, check this mention on the packaging. Foam should then form, don’t panic, this is a sign that the chemical reaction is working. Simply put the beef bourguignon back to cook uncovered so that it dissipates. You will see that in a few minutes, the meat will be much more tender. Phew, the meal is saved!
What to do with leftover beef bourguignon?
Like all family recipes, beef bourguignon must be prepared in large quantities. It is therefore likely that you will have some left for the next day or even the day after that. You’re lucky, it’s even better reheated. By letting it rest for a few hours, the meat absorbs the flavors even better and the sauce becomes even smoother.
Are you more into batch cooking? Play the creativity card with Burgundian-style shepherd’s pie. To do this, shred the meat and place it in a gratin dish with its sauce. Cover everything with homemade mashed potatoes before baking and it’s ready.
One more reason to adopt this generous dish for your future Sunday meals.
