Ingredients
MARINADE
3 cups dry red wine Burgundy Pinot Noir or another dry red wine- 2 Onions thinly sliced
2 Carrots chopped- 2 tbsp Brandy
1 clove Garlic crushed- 10 Black peppercorns whole; tie together in a food-safe cheesecloth sachet
1 tsp Salt- 1 Parsley sprig fresh; tie together in a food-safe cheesecloth sachet
1 Bay Leaf tie together in a food-safe cheesecloth sachet- 2 lbs Beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
BOURGUIGNON
4 tbsp Olive oil divided
¼ lb Bacon cubed- 2 Onions chopped
3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
1 tbsp Tomato paste- 1 ⅓ cups low-sodium beef broth ready to use, not condensed; plus more as needed
- Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste
4 tbsp Butter- 1 lb button or cremini mushrooms cleaned and thickly sliced
Instructions
- Mix the wine, sliced onions, carrots, brandy, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 teaspoon salt and the sachet containing peppercorns, parsley and bay in a nonreactive container. Add the beef, cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below for 48 hours, turning once or twice. Use fresh beef and keep this within its safe refrigerated storage window.
- Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Strain the beef from the marinade and pat it thoroughly dry. Reserve the marinade liquid, vegetables and sachet separately, keeping them chilled until needed. Treat all as raw-meat contact ingredients.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 5–6-quart oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches without crowding, about 3–5 minutes per batch, turning to color the sides. Transfer to a plate. Brown the bacon in the pot, then transfer it to the beef. Spoon off excess fat, leaving a thin layer.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the chopped onions to the pot. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, then add the reserved marinade onions and carrots for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the flour for 1–2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 crushed garlic cloves and tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds.
- Gradually add all the reserved marinade and the beef broth, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Bring the entire sauce to a full boil; do not taste the raw-contact marinade before it boils. Return the beef, bacon, juices and sachet to the pot. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat; add broth or water as needed. Bring back to a simmer.
- Cover with a tight-fitting oven-safe lid and braise in the oven for about 3–3 1/2 hours, until the beef yields easily to a fork. Check about hourly, stirring gently and adding hot broth or water if needed to prevent drying. Cook longer if still tough; time is a guide, tenderness is the endpoint.
- Near the end, melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the mushrooms in two batches for about 8–12 minutes total, allowing their moisture to evaporate. Stir them into the stew and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the sachet. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered briefly; if too thick, add broth.
Notes
Plan two days ahead for the refrigerated marinade. The cooking estimate includes browning and approximately 3–3 1/2 hours of braising; tougher meat may need longer. Yield is approximately 6 servings. The measured broth replaces an ambiguous small-can quantity in the archive.
The used marinade must reach a full boil before serving as sauce. Cooking with wine and brandy does not guarantee that all alcohol is removed.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C). Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or bread.
Adapted from Judy’s Classic Beef Bourguignon on Allrecipes, with clarified preparation, sauce handling and braising instructions.
