Wild Mushroom Beef Bourguignon (Printable)

Tender beef braised with wild mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots in a rich, glossy red wine sauce.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 3.3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
02 - 3.5 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced (optional)

→ Vegetables

03 - 9 oz wild mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini, or cremini), cleaned and sliced
04 - 7 oz pearl onions, peeled
05 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 large yellow onion, chopped
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

09 - 25 fl oz dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
10 - 2 cups beef stock
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Fats

12 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Herbs & Spices

14 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme
15 - 2 bay leaves
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Thickeners

18 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F.
02 - Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until browned on all sides, approximately 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
04 - If using bacon, add diced bacon to the pot and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the beef.
05 - Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Sauté chopped onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
06 - Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
07 - Stir in tomato paste, then pour in red wine while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
08 - Add beef stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return seared beef and cooked bacon to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
09 - Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the preheated 325°F oven. Braise for 2 hours until beef is very tender.
10 - While beef is braising, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté wild mushrooms until golden and any released liquid evaporates, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
11 - In the same skillet, add pearl onions and cook until lightly caramelized, approximately 8 minutes. Set aside.
12 - After 2 hours, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Add sautéed mushrooms and caramelized pearl onions. Continue braising uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
13 - Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef becomes so tender it practically falls apart on your fork, and the sauce is rich enough to make you forget you're eating something so nourishing.
  • Wild mushrooms add an earthy depth that regular button mushrooms just can't touch, elevating the entire dish into something special.
  • It tastes dramatically better the next day, so you're really getting two dinners out of one cooking session.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial searing of the beef even though it seems tedious; that browned surface creates complex flavors that separate a real braise from something that just tastes boiled.
  • If your sauce seems thin after the 2.5 hours of braising, you can remove the beef and vegetables and simmer the liquid uncovered on the stovetop for 10-15 minutes to concentrate it further.
03 -
  • Buy beef chuck from a butcher if you can and ask them to cut it into even 2-inch cubes so it cooks uniformly.
  • Taste the sauce at the very end and remember that salt brings out all the other flavors—add it gradually and keep tasting until everything sings.
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