Description
This Easy Beef Bourguignon recipe delivers a rich, flavorful French classic that transforms tender top sirloin steak and savory cured meat alternative into a luscious, slow-simmered stew. Featuring aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, and a robust dark flavorful liquid base, the dish is finished with sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions for a perfectly balanced and comforting meal, ideal for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 4 slices savory cured meat alternative, diced
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak, diced
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Liquids and Seasonings
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups robust dark flavorful liquid (such as red wine or strong beef broth)
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cook the Cured Meat Alternative: Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the diced cured meat alternative until browned and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the meat and reserve the rendered fat for further steps.
- Brown the Steak: Season the diced top sirloin steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown the steak in batches in the reserved fat, cooking each batch for about 6-8 minutes until well-seared. Set aside the browned steak pieces.
- Sauté Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, sauté the diced onion and carrots until tender, about 3-4 minutes, allowing their natural sweetness to develop.
- Add Garlic: Add the whole garlic cloves to the pot and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute, stirring to prevent burning.
- Prepare the Roux and Paste: Whisk in the all-purpose flour and tomato paste, cooking for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste and combine flavors.
- Add Liquids and Scrape: Pour in the robust dark flavorful liquid, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to incorporate maximum flavor into the sauce.
- Simmer the Stew: Stir in the beef stock, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return the browned steak to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld.
- Sauté Mushrooms and Pearl Onions: In a separate skillet, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Add cremini mushrooms and thawed pearl onions, sautéing for 5-6 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
- Add Garlic and Thyme to Vegetables: Stir in the minced garlic and chopped fresh thyme leaves to the skillet with mushrooms and pearl onions. Cook for an additional 1 minute, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine and Finish: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the stew. Stir in the sautéed mushroom and onion mixture, the reserved cured meat alternative, and chopped parsley. Warm the combined stew for 1-2 minutes to meld all flavors.
- Final Seasoning and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve the beef bourguignon immediately, ideally with a side of crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Use a robust dark flavorful liquid such as a quality dry red wine or a strong beef broth to enrich the sauce depth.
- Be patient when browning the steak in batches to ensure proper searing and avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Thaw frozen pearl onions completely beforehand for even cooking.
- This dish tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to meld.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch slurry.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
