Bourguignon beef stew

Beef stew . Today I am going to introduce you to French food with one of those meat recipes that is to lick your fingers,  beef bourguignon with sauteed red potato .

Its origin is French, specifically from the Burgundy region. There it is usually cooked with beef and Burgundy wine, hence its name ” Bouef bourguignon “. A recipe compiled for the first time by the famous gourmet Auguste Escoffier, who stands out for the use of red wine to cook and tenderize meat, a common resource in other times when very hard meats were used.

I usually prepare this dish at home with veal and a good red wine, all of them ingredients that are easy to get and cheaper. In some places, this stew is cooked for a whole day or even two. In which pots are usually used, which I personally love for this type of cuisine, which are called Crockpotting (Crock pot) . What it allows is that all the smells and flavors are mixed in a slow and perfectly controlled cooking, leaving the meat tender and with an intense flavor.

In addition, the most cooks add a Garní Bouquet , which is nothing more than a bunch of aromatic herbs tied with kitchen rope, which allows the aromas and flavors to concentrate in the stew, preventing us from encountering small pieces of thyme or parsley while we eat. There are those who put all the herbs in a leek leaf and then tie it, thus preventing the pieces from falling out and ending up in the stew.

My recipe will be simple, without bouquet and without burgundy, but I assure you that the end result is spectacular. I have also prepared a garnish of sauteed red potatoes that will leave you with your mouth open. If you have guests, you will surely dazzle them. So get to work and don’t forget to start early enough to get a yummy stew.

Preparation of Bourguignon beef with sauteed red potato

1. We start by preparing the stew. In a large, deep saucepan, pour a generous stream of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Cut the onion and the bacon into very small pieces and add it to the saucepan so that they brown.
3. Salt and pepper the veal. When the onion is lightly browned, add the veal and let it cook together with the onion and bacon, until the meat is well sealed.
4. In a mortar we prepare a mash of garlic, thyme and parsley. Crush it well and add it to the saucepan, along with two bay leaves. We remove and immediately pour the broth. We remove and add the wine.
5. Rectify the salt. If you want to try new experiences, you can tie the aromatic herbs (bay leaf, thyme and parsley) with a kitchen twine. Cover them with a leek leaf and tie them again. Put them in the stew, along with the liquids (wine and broth). Remove it just before serving.
6. Let it cook over medium-low heat with the lid on, but leaving it a little open for the stew to breathe. The cooking time can last between 1 hour and a half and two hours, everything depends on the meat, which must be punctured from time to time to check if it is tender.
7. We supervise the stew so that it does not remain dry. If a lot of liquid evaporates, we can add a little more broth, until the meat is covered again. We stir often to avoid sticking. If you like the sauce to be thick, you can add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch diluted in a cup of the broth at the end of cooking.

Final preparation of the meat stew and presentation

1. Sauté the mushrooms and the French onions. We wash and laminate the mushrooms. In a frying pan add three or four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add the mushrooms to sauté them. We will have them over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Peel and wash the onions and cut them in half. We add them to the pan and let them brown together with the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in meat or vegetable broth (the one you used for the stew) without completely covering the ingredients and leave it to cook for another 2 or 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. We add it to the meat stew and let it cook everything together. If the stew needs more broth we add it.
4. We sauté the red potatoes. We put water to heat in a saucepan. When it is boiling, add the potatoes without peeling and let them cook until they are easily pierced with a fork. We remove the potatoes and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
5. Chop the potatoes, without peeling them, into large squares. We cut the garlic cloves into sheets.
6. In a pan with a large base and a good bottom, add three tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and potatoes. Salt and add a little thyme and parsley. If you like spicy you can add a little paprika.
7. We let the potatoes sauté on both sides, being careful not to burn them. We reserve in the pan itself, covered to keep warm. Before serving, sauté for one minute in the pan.
8. We serve when the meat is tender, remove the casserole from the heat and serve accompanied by the red potatoes. You can put a little of the sauce of the stew on the potatoes, it will give a delicious touch.

Tips and advice for a yummy beef stew

• This beef stew is a classic of French and international cuisine. Serve this bourguignon beef stew with a good red.
• In this case that we are celebrating I opted for some sautéed red potatoes. But you can also serve this stew with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, for a more complete dish.
• You will have already seen that it is a stew that takes a long time to prepare. And it is necessary that the meat is cooked very slow and long enough for it to reach a tender and mellow texture.
• If you do not leave it long enough, you will have a hard and inedible meat. You have already been able to read some tricks on the blog so that a meat stew was almost perfect for you. Although this stew is a little more elaborate.
• Be sure to enjoy all our Christmas recipes in this year’s special valid for all those occasions that you have to prepare a special dish and of course all recipes with meat, both the simplest and this one a little more elaborated in the form of a stew. or stew. You will even make the most of the time in the kitchen because this dish is richer if you prepare it the day before.

You can see all the photos of the beef stew recipe  in this step by step.