Wild Mushroom Beef Bourguignon (Printer-friendly)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3.3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 9 oz wild mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini, or cremini), cleaned and sliced
03 - 7 oz pearl onions, peeled
04 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large yellow onion, chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 25 fl oz dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
09 - 2 cups beef stock
10 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Fats

11 - 3 tbsp olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Herbs & Spices

13 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Thickeners

17 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

→ Optional

18 - 3.5 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F.
02 - Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear beef until browned on all sides, approximately 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
04 - If using bacon, add diced pieces to pot and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside with beef.
05 - Add 1 tbsp olive oil to pot. Sauté chopped onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
06 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
07 - Stir in tomato paste, then pour red wine into pot while scraping up browned bits from bottom with wooden spoon.
08 - Add beef stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return beef and bacon to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer.
09 - Cover Dutch oven and transfer to preheated oven. Braise for 2 hours until beef is very tender.
10 - While beef braises, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté wild mushrooms until golden and liquid has evaporated, approximately 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
11 - In same skillet, add pearl onions and cook until lightly caramelized, approximately 8 minutes. Set aside.
12 - Remove Dutch oven from oven. Add sautéed mushrooms and caramelized pearl onions. Return to oven uncovered and braise for additional 30 minutes to thicken sauce.
13 - Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
14 - Transfer braised beef and vegetables to serving vessels. Ladle sauce over top and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your entire house with a smell so good that people will ask what's for dinner before they even walk through the door.
  • The beef becomes so tender it practically dissolves on your tongue, and the sauce tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did.
  • It's naturally elegant enough for impressing guests but doesn't require you to be a trained chef to pull it off.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step thinking you'll save time—those browned bits are where the deep, savory flavor lives, and rushing through it results in a pot that tastes pale and one-dimensional.
  • The mushrooms and pearl onions go in during the final 30 minutes specifically because longer cooking would turn them to mush, so timing here actually matters.
03 -
  • Marinating the beef in red wine for a few hours or even overnight before cooking adds a complexity that makes people ask what your secret is.
  • Always taste the sauce at the very end and adjust the seasoning—salt and pepper are your friends, and a tiny pinch more can transform something good into something memorable.
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