Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon Recipe can make even the most seasoned chef sweat, so don’t worry – today’s Dinner and a Movie recipe was adapted for the modern woman! Yes, it’s still a labor of love, but once you taste the succulent braised beef simmered in red wine with tender aromatic veggies, it will all have been worth it. Just put Julie & Julia on for inspiration and the time will fly by!
Why You’ll Love This Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Salvador Dali once said, “A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others,” so by that logic – Julia Child is a true artist. Her recipes inspired a generation of home cooks to delve into French cuisine for the first time, and no recipe inspired people more than the laborious and luxurious boeuf bourguignon.
Julia’s recipe and cookbook inspired Julie Powell to write a book, which inspired Nora Ephron to adapt it into a film, which subsequently inspired me to adapt the recipe further so it’s easier for us modern women. Artists!
Today I’ll take you through each step of the process so there’s no confusion or frantic energy, but this definitely isn’t a quick recipe! Pour yourself a glass of wine, gather your ingredients, and enjoy the next installment of Dinner and a Movie.
More Dinner and a Movie Recipes
- Chessy’s Vegetarian Chili from The Parent Trap
- Pear Sorbet from The Princess Diaries
- Lavender Honey Ice Cream from It’s Complicated
- Cosmopolitan Cocktail from Sex and The City
Beef Bourguignon Main Ingredients
This is a little bit of a lengthy list so I’ll break it up into sections to make it easier to shop. And while the length may seem intimidating, you’ll notice all these ingredients are incredibly common and easy to find – so don’t panic!
Start with the meat you’ll need for this recipe – bacon and lean stewing beef. You can either purchase it already cubed or just cube it yourself. Next, veggies!
Produce
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Frozen pearl onions – optional
- Mushrooms
- Fresh Italian Parsley
Kitchen Staples
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Tomato paste
- Beef stock
And don’t forget the pièce de résistance, dry red wine!
How to Make Julie and Julia Beef Bourguignon
In this recipe, you’ll use both the stovetop and the oven. Make sure you keep the oven preheated to 450F for the duration of the recipe for consistent cooking.
Part 1: Beef and Bacon
- Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel to ensure even browning and preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Add bacon to a large 7-quart oven proof casserole/dutch oven on the stovetop. Cook over medium heat until the bacon has cooked through and the fat has rendered off. Remove the bacon and set it aside in a large bowl. Remove most of the bacon grease, until there is about 1 tbsp of so left.
- Add in the olive oil and beef chunks in 2-3 increments, sauteeing for 1-2 minutes on each side until crusted and golden brown. Be careful not to overcrowd the dish. Add browned beef to the bacon once browned and set aside.
Part 2: Beef and Vegetables
- Once all the beef has browned, add the onions, carrots, kosher salt and a few turns of cracked black pepper to the pan. Saute for 4-5 minutes.
- Return the beef and the bacon to the dish and season then generously with more kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Sprinkle the beef and vegetables with flour and toss it together. Place it into the oven, uncovered for 4 minutes. Toss the beef once more and return to the oven for another 4 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and turn the heat down to 325 F.
Part 3: Wine and Herbs
- Add in the wine, and enough beef stock until the meat is just barely covered. With a small piece of kitchen twine, tie the herbs together into a small bundle. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herb bundle to the pot. Return the mixture to medium-high heat on the stovetop until the liquid is simmering.
- Place the lid onto the dish and place it into the oven. Slowly simmer for 3-4 hours, the meat is finished when it is extremely fork tender. The last half hour or so of cooking, add in the pearl onions. Taste test once more for salt and pepper.
Part 4: Mushrooms and Straining
- During the last hour of cook time, prepare the mushrooms. Add butter to a medium skillet and heat on medium heat until melted. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the beef has finished cooking, strain the liquid from the pan in a colander. Heat the liquid on medium-high heat, skim the fat off the top. Whisk continuously until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Serve the beef over a bed of egg noodles or mashed potatoes with a few ladles of sauce. Garnish with fresh Italian parsley.
FAQs
What is beef bourguignon?
Beef – or boeuf – bourguignon is translated into “beef burgundy.” It’s beef simmered in wine made in the Burgundy region of France, along with veggies, herbs, and mushrooms.
What do the French eat with boeuf bourguignon?
They typically eat this dish with boiled potatoes, but you can enjoy it with whatever you want! I suggest mashed potatoes because that’s my favorite.
What wine to use for boeuf bourguignon?
Pinot noir is traditionally used in this dish because it’s from the Burgundy region of France. However, you can use any dry red wine you want. I suggest a Chianti.
Can I make beef bourguignon ahead of time?
You sure can! This is one of those dishes that gets better over time. You can make it a day or two ahead (for maximum freshness) and then reheat it in the oven for your guests when you’re ready to serve. You can save your beef recipe for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Recipes Inspired by French Cuisine
- Classic French Banana and Nutella Crepes
- French Blonde Cocktail
- Plant-Based French Onion Soup
- Blueberry and Peach French Toast
- Strawberry and Cream Overnight French Toast
If you make this Beef Bourguignon Recipe, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Beef Bourguignon Recipe from Julie and Julia
ingredients
- 6 oz bacon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes, pat dry with a paper towel
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 cups dry red one like chianti
- 2.5-3 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves mashed
- 1 small bunch of rosemary
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 18-24 small frozen pearl onions optional
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb mushrooms quartered
- Fresh Italian Parsley
instructions
- Pat dry beef cubes with a paper towel to ensure even browning and preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Add bacon to a large 7-quart oven proof casserole / dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the bacon has cooked through and the fat has rendered off. Remove the bacon and set aside in a large bowl. Remove most of the bacon grease, until there is about 1 tbsp of so left.
- Add in the olive oil and beef chunks in 2-3 increments, sauteeing for 1-2 minutes on each side until crusted and golden brown. Be careful not to overcrowd the casserole dish. Add browned beef to the bacon once browned and set aside.
- Once all the beef has browned, add onions, carrots, kosher salt and a few turns of cracked black pepper to the pan. Sautee for 4-5 minutes.
- Return the beef and the bacon to the casserole dish and season generously with more kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Sprinkle beef and vegetables with the flour and toss together. Place into the oven, uncovered for 4 minutes. Toss the beef once more and return to the oven for another 4 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and turn heat down to 325 F.
- Add in the wine, and enough beef stock until the meat is just barely covered. With a small piece of kitchen twine, tie herbs together into a small bundle. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herb bundle to the pot. Return the mixture to medium-high heat until the liquid is simmering.
- Place the lid onto the casserole dish and place into the oven. Slowly simmer for 3-4 hours, the meet is finished when it is extremely fork tender. The last half hour or so of cooking add in the pearl onions. Taste test once more for salt and pepper.
- During the last hour of cook time, prepare the mushrooms. Add butter to a medium skillet and heat on medium heat until melted. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the beef has finished cooking, strain the liquid from the pan in a colander. Heat the liquid on medium-high heat, skim the fat off the top. Whisk continuously until the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve the beef over a bed of egg noodles or mashed potatoes with a few ladles of sauce. Garnish with fresh Italian parsley.
notes
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