Beef bourguignon is one of the best-known dishes of French cuisine. The meat braises for a long time in red wine with smoked pork belly, carrots and mushrooms.

The recipe was shared by Jean-Hugues Belpois, the author of the French cooking website Cuisine Facile.

The main secret, he says, is to trim the meat carefully of membranes and tough parts. The wine is ideally a red Burgundy made from pinot noir grapes, but another dry red will also do.

What you need

For 6 servings:

  • beef — 800 g;
  • smoked pork belly or thick-cut bacon — 250 g;
  • onion — 1;
  • oil — 3 tbsp;
  • flour — 1 tbsp;
  • dry red wine — 750 ml;
  • bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, parsley) — 1;
  • carrots — 3;
  • potatoes — 1 kg;
  • button mushrooms — 250 g;
  • cornflour — 1 tbsp;
  • salt and pepper — to taste.

How to make it

1. Prepare the meat. Cut the beef into pieces and remove everything that is not good meat: membranes, fat and tough parts.

2. Fry the pork belly and onion. Cut the pork belly into small pieces and chop the onion. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and pork belly, season with pepper and a little salt. Fry for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving a little fat in the pot.

Pieces of beef in the pot, with the chopped pork belly beside itPhoto: Guislin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Pieces of beef in the pot, with the chopped pork belly beside it

3. Brown the beef. Turn up the heat, add the meat and brown the pieces on all sides. Sprinkle with flour, stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes.

The meat browns while the pork belly and mushrooms wait their turnPhoto: Guislin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The meat browns while the pork belly and mushrooms wait their turn

4. Pour in the wine. Return the onion and pork belly and pour in the wine. Stir well, scraping the browned bits from the bottom, and add the bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam.

5. Add the carrots. Peel the carrots, cut them into pieces and add to the pot. Braise uncovered for at least 2 hours.

The beef braises in wine with carrots and pork bellyPhoto: Guislin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The beef braises in wine with carrots and pork belly

6. Add the mushrooms. Meanwhile boil the potatoes. Clean and slice the mushrooms and add them to the pot about 30 minutes before serving.

The mushrooms go in near the endPhoto: Guislin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The mushrooms go in near the end

7. Thicken the sauce. Strain the contents of the pot: set the solids aside and discard the bouquet garni. Bring the liquid to the boil, add the cornflour mixed with cold water and whisk vigorously until the sauce thickens. Check the seasoning.

8. Finish the dish. Return the meat and vegetables to the sauce and keep over low heat until serving.

The finished beef bourguignon in the potPhoto: Guislin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The finished beef bourguignon in the pot

Serve the beef on warmed plates with the potatoes, which you can brown in a frying pan if you like. The author notes that the dish gets better every time it is reheated, so it is worth making enough for several days.

As a reminder, in October we made the onion soup served in French bistros.

Nota bene

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