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Julia Child Beef Bourguignon

Julia Child beef bourguignon is a classic French beef stew braised low and slow in red wine until fork-tender. Brown-braised pearl onions and sautéed mushrooms finish the sauce into a glossy, thickened glaze.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon (lardons, blanched)
  • 6 oz bacon Cut into lardons and blanch 10 minutes.
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Lean stewing beef
  • 3 lb lean stewing beef Cut into 2-inch cubes and patted dry.
Carrot
  • 1 carrot Sliced.
Onion
  • 1 onion Sliced.
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
All-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Red wine
  • 3 cup full-bodied red wine
Beef stock
  • 2 cup beef stock Add 2–3 cups as needed to barely cover.
Tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
Garlic
  • 2 clove garlic Mashed.
Dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
Bay leaf
  • 1 bay leaf
Pearl onions (brown-braised)
  • 18 pearl onions Brown-braise in butter and stock.
Mushrooms
  • 1 lb mushrooms Quartered and sautéed in butter.
Fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and brown the base
  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Brown the blanched bacon in the olive oil in a casserole, then remove the bacon.
  2. Sear the patted-dry beef in the hot fat a few pieces at a time, then brown the sliced carrot and onion in the same pan.
  3. Return beef and bacon to the casserole. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with all-purpose flour, toss, bake uncovered 4 minutes, toss again, and bake 4 minutes more.
Wine-braise
  1. Reduce oven to 325F. Stir in the red wine and enough beef stock to barely cover, then add the tomato paste, mashed garlic, dried thyme, and bay leaf.
  2. Cover and braise for 2 1/2-3 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
Finish with onions and mushrooms
  1. Strain the sauce, skim the fat, and simmer to thicken until glossy.
  2. Pour the sauce back over the beef. Add the braised pearl onions and sautéed mushrooms, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: keep browning batches small so the beef sears instead of steams, and skim the fat from the strained sauce before thickening for a cleaner, more glossy wine gravy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently over low heat. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use less fat by choosing leaner beef and chilling the sauce before skimming to remove more fat.