Beef Bourguignon Recipe – The Ultimate Winter Comfort Food
10 June 2025
Beef Bourguignon Recipe – The Ultimate Winter Comfort Food
Beef Bourguignon Recipe – The Ultimate Winter Comfort Food
There are some recipes I return to, year after year, not just because they taste wonderful but because of the way they make the our home. Beef Bourguignon is one of those dishes to me (does that make sense)?
It’s a quiet kind of classic. French in origin. It simmers. Slowly, patiently, building depth and character as time ticks on. It asks very little of you apart from care, a little patience, and good ingredients. And in return, it gives you a meal that feels generous and deeply satisfying.
Beef Bourguignon originated in Burgundy, a region known for both its wine and its comfort cooking. Made with affordable cuts of beef, a bottle of red, some (very) good stock, and a few everyday aromatics, it was once considered a humble dish. Over time, its reputation grew, as food with heart often does.
Why I Think It’s Worth Making
I know we’re all short on time. But some things are worth slowing down for, and this is one of them. Not because it’s fancy or complex, but because it gives you the chance to cook in a way that feels deeply grounded.
There’s something lovely & calming about the rhythm of it. Browning the meat in batches, stirring in the garlic and shallots, adding a splash of brandy if you like, and watching it all come together with a slow pour of red wine. Layering flavour and trusting time to do its work.
I add a bouquet garni tied with kitchen string, as they do in many French kitchens. And I finish the dish with a touch of butter mixed with flour. This small step makes the sauce beautifully rich without feeling heavy.
A Dish to Share
I made this Beef Bourguignon Recipe on the public holiday just gone and have left it in the fridge for two days to enjoy with family coming over tonight. The work done upfront will allo for me and for all to linger a little longer at the table. It’s a dish full of warmth and love. I will spoon it over soft potato mash and add a simply dressed green salad on the side – a favourite pairing of mine to balance the richness of the stew.
This recipe is just one of the many recipes that I wrote for the Winter Collection of Global Comforts cookbook, created especially for my Relish Mama Cooking Club members this month. Inside the club, we explore themed monthly recipes, cook together online, and help bring rhythm and inspiration to the daily question of what to cook.
Make Ahead Tip:
This dish is a dream to make in advance. The flavours only deepen and improve with time, so feel free to cook it a day ahead and gently reheat before serving. Store it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months, making it a beautiful meal to pull out when you need comfort without the effort.
Slow Cooker Method (Optional):
If you’d prefer to use a slow cooker, here’s how to adapt the recipe: Follow the steps for browning the beef, sautéing the onion and garlic, and cooking off the tomato paste and flour in a pan on the stovetop. Deglaze with wine and scrape up any browned bits. Transfer everything to your slow cooker insert, including the browned beef, stock, vinegar, bouquet garni, and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4–5 hours, until the beef is tender.
In the final 30 minutes of cooking, sauté the mushrooms and pancetta in a separate pan, then add them to the slow cooker.
To thicken the sauce, stir in the beurre manié (butter mixed with flour) for the final 20–30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar.
Tip: If your slow cooker doesn’t retain much heat with the lid off, transfer the stew to a saucepan at the end and simmer gently on the stovetop to finish and thicken the sauce.
If you’re curious about this dish’s history, the National Geographic team has written a lovely piece that places it in its original French context. You can read about that here. It’s always fascinating to trace where dishes like this come from and why they continue to endure.
The full recipe is just below. I hope it brings comfort to your kitchen this season. Not just because of how it incredible it tastes, but because of how it feels to cook a dish like this – calmly & with time on your side. It is beautiful and I hope you love it very much.
With love,
Nellie
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Beef Bourguignon Recipe – The Ultimate Winter Comfort Food
Beef Bourguignon
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-based casserole
- large frying pan
- Chopping board and knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring jug
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg chuck steak or gravy beef cut into large chunks
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 250 ml 1 cup dry red wine
- 500 ml 2 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bouquet garni parsley stalks, thyme, bay leaf, tied with kitchen twine
- 200 g speck or pancetta diced
- 250 g button mushrooms halved
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon plain flour extra, to mix with butter
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley to serve
- Optional:
- 2 tablespoons brandy
Instructions
- Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot. Lower the heat slightly, then sauté the onion for 5–6 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.
- Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Slowly pour in the wine, stirring to deglaze the pan and scrape up any sticky bits. Add the stock, vinegar, bay leaves and bouquet garni.
- Return the beef to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and place in a preheated oven at 160°C (fan-forced) for 2.5 hours, or until the beef is meltingly tender.
- While the stew is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the speck or pancetta until crisp, then remove and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the same pan and sauté until golden. Set aside.
- Once the stew is nearly done, mix the extra tablespoon of flour with the softened butter to form a paste (beurre manié). Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in the mushrooms, pancetta and butter-flour paste. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Scatter with chopped parsley before serving.
- Suggested sides: Creamy mashed potatoes, potato dauphinoise, or crusty bread with a simple green salad.
Notes
If you’d prefer to use a slow cooker, here’s how to adapt the recipe: Follow the steps for browning the beef, sautéing the onion and garlic, and cooking off the tomato paste and flour in a pan on the stovetop. Deglaze with wine and scrape up any browned bits. Transfer everything to your slow cooker insert, including the browned beef, stock, vinegar, bouquet garni, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4–5 hours, until the beef is tender. In the final 30 minutes of cooking, sauté the mushrooms and pancetta in a separate pan, then add them to the slow cooker. To thicken the sauce, stir in the beurre manié (butter mixed with flour) for the final 20–30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Tip: If your slow cooker doesn’t retain much heat with the lid off, transfer the stew to a saucepan at the end and simmer gently on the stovetop to finish and thicken the sauce.
Nutrition
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