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Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe (Photo by Viana Boenzli)
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5 from 8 votes

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe, simplified

Julia Child's beef bourguignon puts a smile on my face. Beef bourguignon is very forgiving and turns out absolutely fantastic every time. Don’t be intimidated.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Keyword: beef bourguignon, julia child
Servings: 4
Calories: 1099kcal

Ingredients

  • 2-½ pounds beef chuck shoulder, cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 6 ounces bacon, cut into 1" squares (1-½ c)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1-½ cups carrots, cut into 1" pieces
  • 1-½ cups yellow onions or shallots, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups dry red wine like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups beef stock or bouillon
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a couple fresh sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
  • 10 pearl onions (optional, but nice addition)

Mushrooms

  • 10 ounces cremini (button) mushrooms, quartered or halved, depending on size
  • 2 tablespoons butter (or more as necessary)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • Olive oil as needed
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Additional Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 pound egg noodles

Instructions

  • Pat the beef dry and cut into 1” cubes. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and set aside. 
  • Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat.
  • Add the bacon (it should sizzle). Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
  • Add beef cubes (make sure they sizzle when touching the oil) and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add carrots and onion (or shallots) and stir for about 3 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Add the cooked bacon and browned beef cubes, add 2 tablespoons flour, give it a really good stir, and cook for 2 minutes. 
  • Add 2 cups red wine, 2 cups beef stock, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, and pearl onions. Bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a simmer. Now, it’s time to put the lid on. 
  • Stir every 15 minutes or so to make sure you’ve got a good simmer going and nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. 
  • After about 1-½ hours, it should be ready, or close to it. Now is a good time to taste. Don’t sweat it if it still seems a little strong on the wine taste. It’ll mellow. But make sure it doesn’t need any more kosher salt. 
  • Now that the beef bourguignon is almost ready, we’re going to sauté the mushrooms. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter until it slightly bubbles and foams. 
  • Add minced garlic for just 30 seconds (you want them fragrant but not burned) and add the mushrooms. 
  • Stir, add a little olive oil (or more butter) if you think the mushrooms are too dry. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the sautéed mushroom-garlic-butter mixture to the Dutch oven and give it one more last stir.
  • Serve over your favorite side dish. In my case, that’s buttered extra-wide egg noodles.
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley and pour everyone a nice glass of red wine. 

Notes

🥄 Taste, taste, taste
You know that’s my mantra, but with this dish, a word of caution: It takes a long time for the wine to do its magic with this stew. If you start tasting halfway through the recommended cooking time, you’ll find that it tastes very strongly of wine and light on salt. This is normal. Don’t do anything. Wait. Patiently. Seriously.
Taste before adding the mushrooms and taste again before serving. You won’t be able to change the harmony of flavors at this point, but you can surely perfect your dish by adding some more kosher salt if necessary. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 1099kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 39g | Sodium: 1332mg | Potassium: 1643mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3414IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 130mg