Food

Sumptuous Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Update your favorite French stew by braising tender beef cheeks, then tossing with crispy bacon, savory mushrooms, and a luxurious gravy.
Sumptuous Beef Bourguignon image
Photo by David Loftus, Levon Biss, and Paul Stuart

Serves: 10
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 day

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds|1.36 kg beef cheeks, trimmed
4 large carrots
4 ribs celery
4 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 fresh bay leaves
1 small pinch of ground cloves
3 cups|750 ml Burgundy or Pinot Noir
⅓ cup|45 grams all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
6 slices smoked bacon
2 large shallots
14 ounces|393 grams button mushrooms
½ bunch of Italian parsley (½ ounce)

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DIRECTIONS

GET AHEAD: Chop the beef cheeks into 2-inch chunks. Wash, trim and chop the carrots and celery into 1 ¼-inch chunks. Peel the garlic and onion, then roughly chop. Place it all in a large bowl with the mustard, bay, cloves, a generous pinch of black pepper and the wine. Mix well, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

ON THE DAY: Heat the oven to 325ºF. Pour the contents of the beef bowl into a colander set over another bowl. Pick out just the beef and pat dry with paper towel, then toss with the flour. Put a large casserole pan on a medium heat and melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. In batches, brown the floured beef all over, turning with tongs and removing to a plate with any crispy bits once browned. Tip the veg into the pan, and cook for 10 minutes, or until starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally and scraping up any sticky bits. Return the beef to the pan, pour over the reserved wine and 3 cups of boiling water, then bring to a simmer. Cover with a scrunched-up sheet of damp parchment paper and transfer to the oven for around 4 hours, or until the beef is beautifully tender, topping up with splashes of water, if needed. 

TO SERVE: When the beef is perfect, turn the oven off. Slice the bacon, then place in a large non-stick pan on a medium-high heat. Peel, chop and add the shallots, tossing regularly, then trim and halve or quarter the mushrooms, adding to the pan as you go. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden, stirring regularly. Finely chop and toss through the parsley leaves, then pour the contents of the pan over the bourguignon and season to perfection, tasting and tweaking. Serve with the mash and garlicky greens. 

Excerpted from TOGETHER by Jamie Oliver. Copyright © 2021 by Jamie Oliver. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by David Loftus, Levon Biss, and Paul Stuart.

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