Description
This Easy Beef Bourguignon recipe offers a hearty and flavorful French-inspired stew featuring tender top sirloin steak, savory cured meat alternative, and aromatic vegetables simmered in a rich, dark sauce. Perfect for a comforting family meal, it combines classic techniques with accessible ingredients for an impressive dish in just over an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 4 slices savory cured meat alternative, diced
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak, diced
Vegetables
- 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
Liquids and Sauces
- 1 ½ cups robust dark flavorful liquid (such as red wine or substitute)
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Herbs, Spices and Seasonings
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Brown the cured meat alternative: Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced cured meat alternative and cook until browned and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat and reserve the rendered fat in the pot.
- Brown the steak: Season the diced top sirloin steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the steak in batches to the Dutch oven and brown for about 6 to 8 minutes each batch. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add garlic: Stir in the whole garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Create the roux base: Whisk in the all-purpose flour and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste and develop flavor.
- Deglaze and add liquids: Pour in the robust dark flavorful liquid, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen browned bits. Stir in the beef stock along with the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Simmer the stew: Return the browned steak to the Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Prepare mushrooms and pearl onions: In a separate skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the cremini mushrooms and thawed pearl onions, sautéing for 5 to 6 minutes until tender. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves, cooking for an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine components: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the stew. Stir in the mushroom and pearl onion mixture, the browned cured meat alternative, and fresh parsley. Warm everything together for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Final seasoning and serving: Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the beef bourguignon immediately, enjoying the rich flavors and tender meat.
Notes
- The robust dark flavorful liquid typically refers to red wine; you can substitute with grape juice or beef broth for non-alcoholic versions.
- Using a Dutch oven is preferred for even heat distribution and better flavor development.
- For best results, brown meat in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause steaming instead of browning.
- Frozen pearl onions can be used directly but thawing helps to prevent excess moisture in the sauté.
- This dish tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
