Try this amazing dish with easy and healthy steps.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups burgundy wine
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 2 pounds cubed beef chuck roast
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/4 pound bacon cubed
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
- Carbohydrate 93.6934985967867 g
- Cholesterol 122.012500052324 mg
- Fat 61.812052461882 g
- Fiber 10.975439752429 g
- Protein 21.922340515306 g
- Saturated Fat 31.4092462221001 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (2562g)
- Sodium 753.783289804164 mg
- Sugar 82.7180588443577 g
- Trans Fat 4.4970097425229 g
- Calories 1499 calories
Step-by-step
- For marinade: In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- For Bourguignon: Strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and saute for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the bacon and saute until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the skillet and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the skillet to deglaze the skillet, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade.
- Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the onion and carrot from the marinade, along with the additional onion that you've chopped, and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat and bacon, again using a slotted spoon, and return skillet to the heat. Add the flour to the skillet, combining with the oil and stir until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.
- Now add the tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps. Add this to the meat and vegetable mixture. Place entire mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- About 15 minutes before meat is done baking, melt butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. When meat is done, add the mushrooms to the meat mixture, stir well and let sit for about 15 minutes.
The Power of the Marinade
Red wine carries the heaviest workload in this preparation, acting as both a tenderizer and the primary flavor base. Submerging cubed chuck roast in burgundy wine alongside aromatics for forty-eight hours breaks down tough connective tissue long before the Dutch oven sees any heat. Skipping this prolonged soak results in a flat sauce, because surface-level braising cannot penetrate dense muscle fibers the way slow enzymatic saturation does. Pat the meat thoroughly dry with paper towels after extraction, otherwise surface moisture creates steam instead of the deep mahogany sear required for proper fond development.
Building the Fond
Deglazing is the single step that dictates whether the final sauce tastes complex or watery. Pouring a cup of the reserved marinade into the hot skillet right after rendering the bacon allows the alcohol to dissolve caramelized proteins stuck to the bottom of the pan. Scraping vigorously with a wooden spoon releases those browned bits back into the liquid, establishing the savory backbone of the stew. When browning the chuck roast in batches, resist crowding the pan; packing too many pieces together drops the oil temperature and stews the meat instead of frying it.
Judging Tenderness
Measuring internal temperature with a digital probe provides little utility in a three-hour braise, because collagen melts within a specific window regardless of exact degree readings. Instead, rely on physical resistance by pressing a cube against the side of the baking dish with a fork. The beef is finished when it yields instantly with zero stringy pull, yet retains its shape rather than dissolving into shreds. Allowing the finished dish to rest uncovered for fifteen minutes off the heat lets the gelatin redistribute through the sauce, thickening the liquid naturally before serving.
