Beef Bourguignon

Hearty beef dinner.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• French bistro classic at home.
• Showstopper for company.
• Makes the whole house smell incredible.
• Better the next day.
• Freezer-friendly for special occasions.

Ingredient Notes

• Burgundy or Pinot Noir is the traditional wine — but any dry red works.
• Thick-cut bacon (or pancetta) gives the right lardon size.
• Frozen pearl onions save a huge amount of peeling time.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Pressure cooker: 60 minutes high pressure with natural release, sauté mushrooms separately.
• Slow cooker: brown everything stovetop first, then 8 hours on LOW.
• Beef short ribs for an even more luxurious version.

Equipment Needed

• Large Dutch oven (5–7 qt)
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon
• Skillet for mushrooms

Prep Tips

• Trim and cube the beef the night before to save time on day-of.
• Brown mushrooms separately so they don't release water into the braise.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 lb ground beef, 1 bacon, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 medium carrot, sliced, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup red wine, 1 cup beef broth, 1 medium tomato, diced. mince the garlic, dice the onion, and chop the vegetables into even pieces before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Render bacon, sear beef.

3. 3

   Sauté onion, carrot, garlic.

4. 4

   Add wine, broth, tomato, herbs.

5. 5

   Braise 300°F 2.5 hr; add mushrooms last 30 min.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Dry the beef hard and brown in batches — this is the foundational flavor step.
• Use a wine you'd drink. The wine IS the sauce, so cheap-and-rough wine makes cheap-and-rough sauce.
• Chuck needs to go past 195°F internal to fully break down. Tasting at 165°F gives you tough meat.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping or rushing the sear, leaving a flat-tasting braise.
• Pulling the beef at 165°F — chuck must go to 195°F+ for tenderness.
• Cooking mushrooms in the pot, which makes them slimy. Sauté separately.

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