Juicy, tender beef and vegetables slow cooked in a red wine sauce, this beef bourguignon is perfect to warm you up during the winter season.

As the weather cools, it’s time to break out the winter warming recipes! This traditional beef bourguignon needs no introduction. Made famous by celebrated chef, television personality, and author Julia Child, this French dish features succulent meat and vegetables braised beautifully in a rich, flavourful red wine sauce. Nothing is more warming and satisfying than savouring this gorgeous stew that makes a wonderful addition to both weekday dinners or a winter dinner party.

This beef bourguignon recipe can be made in a stockpot as the higher rims are perfect for slow cooking meats. Alternatively, you can also use a stewing pot for this recipe as the rims are not as high as the ones found on stockpots, meaning they'll look better on your table and make serving this dish easier. For our dish, we used a stewpot from Emile Henry as we love how the cookware heats the stew evenly and looks gorgeous on the dinner table.

This wonderful stew originated from Burgundy, France – hence the name. While beef bourguignon is amazing by itself, you can also dress it up or down with side dishes or with pasta. Serve it with tagliatelle, mashed potatoes, and green beans if you’re entertaining guests, or with some freshly baked French bread if you’re in the mood for a comforting dinner after a long day.

Preparation Time: 35 minutes | Cooking Time: 2 Hours

Ingredients:

For 4 servings:

• 1 bottle red wine (full-bodied)
• 1kg or 2¼ lb braising beef (chuck, shank, neck etc)
• 1 onion, 3 carrots
• 200g or 7 oz smoked belly
• 4 juniper berries
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 100ml or 3¼ fl. oz oil (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons flour (⅛ cup)
• Fine salt and freshly ground pepper
• Optional: 200g or 7 oz button mushrooms

Method:

The Day Before:

1. Trim the fat from the meat and cut into pieces measuring around 3cm or 1in.

2. Chop the onions and carrots. Cut the belly into small pieces.

3. Place everything in a large bowl, pour over the red wine, add the juniper berries and leave to marinate for around 12 hours in a cool place.

Cooking:

1. Drain and dry the meat. Heat the oil in a stewpot and brown the pieces of meat. Add salt and pepper.

2. Add the solid ingredients from the marinade to the stewpot and reduce to a medium heat (medium power on an induction hob).

3. Crush the garlic, add the bay leaf, thyme and sprinkle over the flour. Mix well.

4. Pour over the marinade liquid and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in a preheated oven for approximately 2 hours at 200°C (400°F, gas 6).

5. Serve hot with fresh tagliatelle.

6. Optional: When the meat comes out of the oven you can add lightly pan-fried mushrooms cut into quarters.

Recipe Source: Emile Henry

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