Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we move into 2025 I wanted to leave you with a recipe that is near and dear to me during the Winter season, and that is the fabulous French stew, Beef Bourguignon.

First let me update you guys on the state of the blog. This year I have been very quiet due to a busy schedule and just life overall. Coming into the New Year, I plan on restructuring and updating the website, so I want you to all stay tuned for the next stage. I plan on beginning the year with an epic foodie road trip in the Northern African country of Morocco, in which I will be driving over 1200 miles experiencing the country’s culture, and the delicious food there is to offer. So please stay tuned, fun things are coming!

Now, in my opinion Beef Bourguignon is the king of all beef stews. Taking inexpensive cuts of tough beef, and giving it a long simmer in red wine until perfectly tender, makes this dish a wonderful comforting stew for the holidays. This year I was lucky enough to have sirloin tip roast on hand, but I recommend using tougher cuts like chuck roast, brisket, or beef stew cubes. The sirloin tips cut the cooking time to 1 1/2 hours vs 3 hours for the tougher cuts. So if you decide to use sirloin, please be aware that a long cook can possibly dry out the meat. I decided to prepare a version similar to the Julia Childs recipe from her book Mastering the Art of French cooking. There are a lot of steps but it is well worth it! Another tip: I recommend cooking the stew at least a day ahead. The flavors will marry a whole lot better if you refrigerate it at least 24 hours in advance. I paired it with garlic/sour cream mashed potatoes and honey roasted heirloom carrots. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (serves 8-10)

8-10 oz thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces 

5 pounds beef chuck roast or sirloin tip roast, cut into large chunks

2 Tbs olive oil 

2 Carrots medium, cut into ½ inch chunks 

1 yellow onion large, diced 

8 cloves garlic minced (2 set aside for the mushrooms) 

Kosher salt 

Fresh ground black pepper 

3 Tbs tomato paste 

2-3 Tbs flour 

1 bottle of good red wine like Pinot Noir (Burgundy) or merlot 

3 cups beef stock, I used “Better than Boullion” 

Bouquet Garni (1 sprig rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs parsley) 

3 bay leaves 

18-20 pearl onions par boiled for 1 minute 

3-4 Tbs butter 

1 ½ lbs white or Bella mushrooms quartered or halved 

3-4 Tbs fresh parsley minced (for garnish) 

8 quart Dutch oven (recommended) or another large pot 

Preheat oven to 325°F  

In a Dutch oven over medium high heat sauté the bacon until crisp and set aside. Pat dry the beef and season with kosher salt and black pepper then sear in batches in the bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Try not to add too many pieces to the pot because they will be harder to brown. In the remaining bacon fat (add additional oil if needed), sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, then add 6 cloves minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and flour to the pan and mix well until the veggies are coated. Pour 1 ½ cups of the wine into the pot to de-glaze, be sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot (this is flavor!). Add the rest of the wine and the beef stock to the pot and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Return the bacon and beef back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ -3 hours until the meat is fork tender. If you choose to use Sirloin tip roast start checking the meat at 1 ½ hours for tenderness. 

In the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan add the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds, then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are slightly browned, set aside. 

Remove the beef stew from the oven. Using a colander and a large bowl, carefully drain the liquid from the pot into a bowl. Add the liquid back into the Dutch oven and simmer over medium heat until it slightly thickens. Add a little stock if it is too thick. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to your taste. Discard the herbs from the colander and place the beef stew and vegetables back into the pot with the sauce along with the mushrooms and pearl onions. Simmer for 15 minutes then remove from the heat. If not serving immediately, allow it to cool then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours (recommended). It is best served with mashed potatoes or egg noodles and garnished with fresh parsley. Bon Appetit!