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Beef bourguignon recipe

Beef bourguignon recipe

This deliciously rich dish is packed full of flavour and tender melt-in-your-mouth meat. This is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the onions and carrots, and the smokiness of the bacon. Serve with creamy mash and a glass of red wine.

1 hour 15 minutes
2-3 hours
6 people
What you'll need
  • 200g smoke bacon lardons
  • 1.6kg diced beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 75cl bottle red wine
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 25g butter
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 450g pearl onions or 24 baby onions
  • 300g mushrooms
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • A pinch of salt and pepper
  • Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Method
Step 1.

Trim off hard and excess fat or sinew from the beef. Season well with salt and pepper.

Step 2.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Fry the beef over a medium-high heat until it’s nicely browned. You might need to do this in batches and occasionally add more oil to prevent the beef burning.

 

Once the beef is browned, transfer it to a large casserole dish.

 

Preheat your oven to 170c/150 fan/Gas mark 3

Step 3.

Add more oil into the pan and fry the lardons for 3 minutes, or until the fat has browned.

 

Scatter the lardons over the beef in the casserole dish.

Step 4.

Fry the chopped onion over a low heat until it’s softened. Be sure to stir regularly to prevent burning.

 

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 5.

Add the cooked onion and garlic to the meat and pour in the wine.

 

Stir in 150ml of water and the tomato puree.

 

Crumble up the stock and add to the mix alongside the herbs.

 

Bring to the simmer, then give it a stir, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven.

 

Cook for 1.5 hours or until the beef is completely tender.

Step 6.

While the beef cooks put the onions in a bowl. Cover with boiled water and leave to stand for five minutes.

 

Drain and let them cool.

 

When the onions have cooled enough to handle, trim off the root close enough to the end so they don’t fall apart.

 

Peel off the skin.

Step 7.

Just before the beef is ready, melt half the butter in a non-stick frying pan.

 

Add a small amount of oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Place in a bowl.

Step 8.

Cook the remaining butter and mushrooms in the pan on a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 9.

Mix the cornflour and water in a small bowl until it’s smooth.

Step 10.

Take the casserole dish out of the oven and stir in the cornflour mixture, onions, and mushrooms.

 

Put it back in the oven for another 45 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick. You know the sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon. If it’s still thin, add a little more cornflour, a drop of cold water, and let it simmer for a couple more minutes on the hob.

Step 11.

Remove the thyme stalks, garnish with parsley and serve with some mash potatoes.

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