Beef Bourguignon

A stunning classic French stew featuring ultra-tender beef, pearl onions, and mushrooms in a rich red wine sauce. This is comfort food elevated for the holidays.

Serves: 6-8

Total Time: 3-3.5 hours (includes prep, searing, and braising)

Ingredients

For the Beef Bourguignon:

Bacon and Beef:

• 8 oz thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 lbs Nolan Ryan Beef Stew Meat
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Aromatics and Vegetables:

• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

Braising Liquid:

• 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine (Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or Merlot)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

Pearl Onions and Mushrooms:

• 1 lb pearl onions (fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen)
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved (or quartered if large)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 10-12 minutes. Remove bacon, leave fat in pot. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, sear beef cubes 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to bowl with bacon.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrots, cook 8-10 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste, cook 2-3 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape up browned bits. Add beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Return beef and bacon to pot. Bring to simmer.

3. Cover Dutch oven and transfer to oven. Braise 2.5-3 hours until beef is fork-tender.

4. Brown pearl onions in 2 tbsp butter until golden, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add remaining 1 tbsp butter and mushrooms to same skillet. Cook until browned, 7-9 minutes total.

5. Remove pot from oven. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Stir in flour. Add pearl onions and mushrooms. Simmer on stovetop 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning.

6. Ladle stew into bowls. Garnish with parsley, thyme, and flaky salt. Serve with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.