What is Beef Bourguignon
Beef bourguignon is considered a classic French dish, As widely renowned as ratatouille and coq au vin, it is a simple stew of beef, vegetables, and herbs that originated in provincial Burgundy.
This is a beautiful region of France about 100 km southeast of Paris. It stretches over 360km and contains over 2000 communes, Known as Bourgogne in French, it is famous for its delicious Burgundy wine.
The local cuisine often uses this wine in its sauces. In fact, in keeping with French tradition, beef bourguignon is named for the sauce and not the region. Theoretically, a dish of tofu could be dubbed bourguignon, if served with this sauce that is redolent with mushrooms and pearl onions as well as the local wine.
The History of Beef Bourguignon
Records of the dish date to the Middle Ages, though the first written recipe didn’t appear until Auguste Escoffier recorded his version in 1903. Originally beef bourguignon was a peasant food, Due to the type of meat and the process involved, rural households cooked the dish because it was cheap, filling, and could feed many.
Tougher cuts of Beef are used for this dish, While these resilient cuts are flavorful, they are inexpensive as they have more connective tissues. Therefore, they are cooked for long periods at a low temperature, This tenderises the meat, uses less fuel, which makes the dish superbly economical as well as delicious.
The beef is traditionally braised in Burgundy wine, which was local to the area and cheaply available, along with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and onions, The stew is flavoured with thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Traditionally, lardons (cubes of pork fat) are added for richness. However, if these are not available, thick-cut bacon will do.
The Beef
Creamy white cows from the Charolles region of Southern Burgundy were traditionally used in beef bourguignon. Charolais cattle are prized both for the quality of their meat and their gentle temperament. The beef has a distinct flavor and a low fat content.
To make a reasonably authentic dish, be careful to use beef that is rich in connective tissue, such as braising steak, chuck, skirt, shin, brisket, or oxtail.
This type of meat comes from the strongest part of the animal’s body, one that’s rich in connective tissue made of collagen. Meat that has lots of collagen in it starts off tough, these cuts are the most flavorful, and they will soften during the cooking process.
While the original recipe called for using a whole piece of beef, it has been adapted for diced or cubed meat which can be more easily found in modern supermarkets.
Burgundy Red Wine
For a good Beef bourguignon Make sure to use a good red Burgundy, the signature wine of the region. A Pinot Noir or Gamay would be ideal. Local vignerons (winemakers) believe it is not just the type of grape but the terroir (“tear-wah”) that is essential. This French term encompasses the symbiosis between grapes, soil, climate, vineyard placement, and human touch in creating wine.
The marriage between the right cut of beef and the correct wine result in flavors that complement each other and the other ingredients to result in an incredibly rich, flavorful stew.
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe you can add personal touches. Many chefs, for example, add a pig’s trotter to increase collagen content. Others marinate the meat beforehand or caramelize the onions. These small variations do not harm the integrity of the dish but add the chef’s personal signature. They prove the versatility inherent in this simple yet exquisite dish.
Beef bourguignon is a perfect dish for the slow cooker and can be made really easily, here’s 5 of our favourite Beef bourguignon recipes:
Beef Bourguignon Slow-Cooker
This is a great simple way to make this classic dish. Beef Bourguignon is basically just beef stew, but sounds real fancy because of its big fancy French words. It does incorporate some nice red wine flavor, which is what gives it its deep rich classic flavor, which is really the difference between plain beef stew and the bourguignon version. For this application, we are using a chuck roast and cooking in a crock pot, or a slow cooker. You can also cook the roast whole if you’d like, but this version is nice because if you cut it up beforehand, it’s all done.
Slow Cooker Best Beef Burgundy
This Beef Burgundy or Beef Bourguignon is the ultimate French comfort food. Chunks of beef pieces bathed in burgundy wine are cooked long and slow with herbs and mushrooms until they are fork tender and just melt in the mouth. Having made this in the slow cooker, stovetop as well as oven I’ve given you all the option below.
The Best Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon on the Internet, Simply Beautiful
Beef Bourguignon originates from the Easterly Burgundy region of France. It is beef braised in red wine, we have adapted the traditional recipe for this Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon version. The sauce comes out thick and full of flavour and the meat melts in your mouth.
Classic Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon
This classic French recipe just got a whole lot easier with the help of your trusty slow cooker. Make this boeuf bourguignon for your next dinner party!
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Impress your family and friends with this easy Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon recipe. This classic labor-intensive French dish is simplified with familiar ingredients and the use of a slow cooker.
