Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

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Mastering the Art of Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

The classic French beef stew that changed everything

You’ve probably seen the movies, read the books, and maybe even seen Julia Child make Beef Bourguignon (boeuf bourguignon) on PBS reruns. But until you make Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe yourself, you’re missing out.

Is Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon worth the effort?

Absolutely, without a doubt this classic French dish is worth the effort. However I think you should make it and decide for yourself.

If you love juicy fork tender beef, red wine sauce, sweet golden brown onions and meaty mushrooms, this stew is for you!

The first time I made Beef Bourguignon was in 2012. It was a snowy day in Virginia and the whole family was either traveling or busy elsewhere. It was the perfect day to explore this amazing recipe and spend the day with Julia.

Since then I’ve tweaked a few of the more tedious steps and streamlined it just a bit. I think this slightly adapted version is fantastic, just a bit easier to make than the original and worth every minute in the kitchen.

Overview: How to make Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

Prep the ingredients, preheat the oven and read over the recipe a few times before beginning.

1. Make the stew:

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips (lardons). Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Once shimmering add the bacon to the hot oil and cook until lightly browned and crisp.

Use a slotted spoon to drain and remove the lardons to a large bowl. Set aside.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels. Re-heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking.

Add the beef in batches, a few pieces at a time, and cook in the bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove the beef to the bowl with the bacon. Repeat with all remaining beef cubes.

Add the carrots and chopped onions to the now empty pot. Cook the sliced vegetables until lightly browned. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Discard the additional fat.

Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot with the vegetables. Cook stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste is darkened in color.

Return the beef and bacon to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the beef and toss to coat.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the flour forms a dark fond on the bottom of the pot. Pour 1 cup of wine into the pan and gently deglaze the bottom to release any browned bits. Add all remaining wine and the beef stock enough to cover the beef.

Add the thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer on the stovetop. Once simmering cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook in the lower third of the preheated oven regulating the heat as needed so the broth simmers slowly for 3 to 4 hours or until the beef is very tender and pierces easily with a fork.

2. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil and heat until bubbling. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat. Sauté the onions for 10 minutes, carefully rolling them around so they brown evenly.

Add 1/3 cup beef stock, salt and pepper, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or until the onions are tender but still hold their shape and the liquid has evaporated.

Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the onions to a bowl.

Heat the remaining butter and olive oil in the now empty skillet. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Leave the mushrooms to cook without stirring until browned on one side. Stir and continue cooking until the moisture is released and then evaporates.

Remove the cooked onions to the bowl with the onions. Cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

3. Assemble the stew and serve

Remove the stew from the oven and place on top of the stove. Allow the stew to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Tilt the pot and skim off and discard any fat that pools on top of the pot.

Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Distribute the pearl onions and mushrooms over the stew. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes or until heated through. Add a few tablespoons of stock if needed to thin.

Serve directly from the Dutch oven over mashed potatoes or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

I’ve found the stew is just as good without going through the process of straining the beef. Remove from the oven and allow the stew to rest a few minutes. Next tilt the pan to pool the fat and remove as much as possible.

Don’t worry if you can’t remove all the fat. Remember, fat is flavor so leaving a little in the pot is fine. The gravy is typically good as is and doesn’t require additional simmering to reduce. This was already done in the oven.

What to serve with Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

Julia suggests serving this stew with boiled potatoes and green peas. Our personal preference is to serve the stew over mashed potatoes with peas on the side.

The red wine sauce / gravy is perfect with buttery mashed potatoes but we also love it served with egg noodles and plenty of crusty Artisan bread.

Make Beef Bourguignon ahead for serving the next day

This is an exceptional company-worthy meal everyone adores.

And for a bonus, this meaty stew actually gets better after sitting overnight. That makes it great for serving without the fuss of being in the kitchen while entertaining company. Simple reheat gently and serve.

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers you’ll find this stew is just as good the next day as it was when you took it out of the oven.

Is Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon hard to make?

To ‘rate‘ this recipe on difficulty I believe most would say it’s difficult to make. However in this case difficult really means a little time consuming with a few extra steps and dirty dishes.

Is this recipe doable for the home cook? Absolutely! If you can read and follow a recipe then you can make this stew.

With a little prep-work you’ll find this recipe comes together logically and easily with amazing results. Don’t let the numerous steps scare you off. While it’s not a 30-minute weeknight meal, it is a must-make for anyone passionate about cooking.

You’ll find the original version of this recipe In the New York Times best selling cookbook Mastering The Art of French Cooking (affiliate link) by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. These amazing chefs include detailed instructions for hundreds of classic French recipes that anyone can master.

The book reads more like a novel than modern day cookbooks with plenty of helpful tidbits every step of the way. You’ll find serving suggestions, wine pairings and tips to help even the most experienced cook.

Bon Appetit!

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5 from 10 votes

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 5 hrs

Total Time: 6 hrs

Yield: 8

Course: Dinner

Author: Tricia

PRINT RECIPE

Tender beef and vegetables slow simmered in a richly flavored red wine sauce. This is probably the best stew you'll ever make

Ingredients

• 6 thick slices uncured bacon (about 6 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds lean chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes
• 2 large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion rough chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups full-bodied red wine like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy
• 4 cups beef stock divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf

For the vegetables:

• 18 to 24 small white pearl onions peeled
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• salt and pepper
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ pounds mushrooms cleaned and quartered

For serving:

• fresh parsley leaves chopped for garnish
• cooked buttered noodles
• boiled potatoes
• mashed potatoes
• green peas

Instructions

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Cut bacon crosswise into ¼-inch thick strips (lardons). Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once shimmering add the bacon and cook until lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the lardons to a large bowl and set aside. Leave the fat in the pot.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels. Re-heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the beef in batches, a few pieces at a time, and cook until browned on all sides. Don’t crowd the pan as the beef will not brown properly. Remove the browned beef to the bowl with the lardons. Repeat with any remaining beef cubes.
• Add the carrots and chopped onions to the now empty pot. Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat stirring frequently until lightly browned. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and discard.
• Add the tomato paste and garlic to the carrots and onions. Cook and stir for a few minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste slightly darkens in color.
• Return the beef and bacon to the pot and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and toss to coat.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes.
• Pour 1 cup of wine over the beef and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Add the remaining 2 cups of wine and 3 ½ cups of stock enough to cover the beef. Add the thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
• Once simmering cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook so the broth simmers slowly for 3 to 4 hours. Reduce the heat or increase as needed to ensure the stew simmers but doesn’t boil. Continue to cook stirring gently a few times, until the beef is very tender and pierces easily with a fork.

While the beef is cooking prepare the onions and mushrooms.

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 ½ tablespoons butter and 1 ½ tablespoons oil until bubbling. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onions for about 10 minutes, carefully rolling them around so they brown as evenly as possible.
• Add ⅓ cup of beef broth, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or until the onions are tender but still hold their shape and the liquid has evaporated. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and transfer the onions to a bowl.
• Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter stops bubbling add the mushrooms. Toss the mushrooms to coat then leave in a single layer to brown without stirring, about 5 minutes. Once browned on one side, stir and continue cooking until the moisture is released and then evaporates.
• Remove the cooked mushrooms to the bowl with the onions. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Assemble the stew

• Once the beef is tender remove the pot from the oven. Allow the stew to rest for 5 minutes then tilt the pan to skim off and discard any fat that pools on top. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all, a little fat is okay.
• Set the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms and stir gently to combine. Cover and simmer for 3 or 5 minutes or until heated through.
• Serve directly from the Dutch oven or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves and serve.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 1446mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2819IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 5mg

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

An incredible beef stew with amazing flavor simmered a rich red wine sauce that everyone will love. While it takes some time to make this classic French casserole, it’s worth every minute you’ll spend bringing it together.

This stew is great made the day before serving as the flavors just continue to meld together in perfect harmony. That makes this a great company worthy dish that will surely impress!

Originally published February 2012, updated April 2022