A classic and easy recipe for Beef Bourguignon with a delicious side of Baguette Dumplings. Tips on what red wine to choose when making Beef Bourguignon, and what to serve with Beef Bourguignon. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Beef Bourguignon
After the uncomfortable heatwave that strikes most of Europe every July and August, which generally renders our kitchen a no-go-zone and where turning on the oven is like turning on the heater, I always welcome the start of autumn with much relief.
And as soon as the weather starts to turn grey and cold, my thoughts often turn to comforting stews and slow-cooked meals.
If you love beef stews, you will love this French classic, Beef Bourguignon (also called Boeuf Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy).
Beef Bourguignon Recipe
This recipe for Beef Bourguignon is nothing too different to your usual beef stew. What really sets a Beef Bourguignon apart from other beef stews is the use of red wine, but more on that later …
For me, the baby onions are a must in this dish, as are the mushrooms, as a way of introducing vegetables in what is otherwise a meat-heavy dish.
You can also add carrots to a Beef Bourguignon, but it is not always so common. You could add just one carrot as per Julia Child’s recipe for Beef Bourguignon (most likely to add some sweetness to the sauce), but any more and your stew would be considered a Boeuf Carotte, which is a different French dish entirely.
Which Cut of Beef to Use for Beef Bourguignon?
The most important part of this dish is, naturally, the beef.
I buy most of my meat from the butcher, so I always ask for stewing beef in one large piece which I can then slice up at home.
Pre-chopped stewing beef tend to be too small for my liking, and I happen to think that large pieces of meat cook better when slow-cooked. So for stews like a Beef Bourguignon, I like to cut the meat into fairly large chunks (either large 5 cm cubes or more often into large blocks about 10 cm long and 5 cm wide).
Which Red Wine is Best for Beef Bourguignon?
Beef Bourguignon is thought to have its origin in the Burgundy region of France (hence, the name), but each region has its own version of this classic dish, using its local red wine.
As red wine is the predominant flavour in this dish, it would be wise to use a good-quality wine, one which isn’t necessarily expensive, nor a Burgundy (unless you need to impress).
I often make this dish with a Pinot Noir or a Côtes-du-Rhône, nothing too expensive but good enough to also drink with the meal later. If you’re not prepared to drink the wine, please do not invest 3 hours cooking with it.
What to Serve with Beef Bourguignon
Boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes are the usual accompaniments to a classic Beef Bourguignon.
But for something a bit different, I think Rachel Khoo’s Baguette Dumplings are a wonderful alternative.
These Baguette Dumplings are made from – you guessed it – leftover or stale baguette loaves. They are fried until crispy and golden, and they are perfect for soaking up all the wonderful, rich sauce from the Beef Bourguignon.
The dumplings themselves taste like fried savoury eggy bread – totally delicious!
Trust me – once you have tried these Baguette Dumplings, it will be hard to eat Beef Bourguignon with anything else!
How to Make Baguette Dumplings
Rachel Khoo stipulates 200 g of stale baguette for her recipe, and this equates to a whole baguette in my neck of the woods. So I set about buying an extra baguette to leave for a few days to become stale.
Tough task given that we go through bread pretty quickly in our home, and a guilt-ridden task given that my husband went without breakfast one morning upon realising that this entire baguette loaf had been reserved for dinner later that night. But it was all for a good cause …
As you can see from the photos, the baguette I used is pretty thin and crusty. It is important that the bread is stale for this recipe so that it can soak up all of the milk but not go mushy.
Trust me – I made these dumplings again a few nights later with somewhat fresh bread and the result was very sticky and messy. However, once the dumplings were cooked, they still tasted delicious.
Beef Bourguignon Pies
Any leftover Beef Bourguignon is delicious made into meat pies. In fact, I regularly make a double portion of Beef Bourguignon just so I can make pies the next day!
If you plan to turn leftovers into pies, it is best to prepare the pie filling whilst the stew is still warm.
Simply shred the leftover meat with two forks, and add enough sauce to moisten the meat and to create enough sauce for the pie filling. You could also add any mushrooms and onions from the stew.
The beef bourguignon pie filling can be kept in the fridge for several days until you are ready to make the pies. During this time, the sauce will have solidified in the fridge (like any meat stew), but it will turn into a nice gravy once it is baked in the pie.
You can use the beef bourguignon pie filling to make classic meat pies by following the steps in my recipe for Classic Meat Pies.
Or you can take a popular short cut and follow the steps in my recipe for Pie Maker Meat Pies.
More Beef Stew Recipes
If you are looking for beef stew recipes, you might also like the following:
Chinese Braised Beef with Carrots
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Beef Bourguignon with Baguette Dumplings
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French
A classic and easy recipe for Beef Bourguignon with a delicious side of Baguette Dumplings.
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RateIngredients
For the Beef Bourguignon
- 1 kg (2 lb) stewing beef, cut into large chunks (see Kitchen Notes)
- sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil for browning the meat
- 150 g (5 oz) lardon, pancetta or bacon, cubed
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 10–12 pearl onions or pickling onions, peeled but left whole
- 2 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 500 ml (2 cups) red wine
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) water
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar
- 3–4 stalks of parsley
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 3 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 10–12 chestnut mushrooms, left whole or halved if large
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the Baguette Dumplings
- 200 g (7 oz) stale baguette or other stale bread
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- a pinch of nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1–2 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- butter for frying
Instructions
For the Beef Bourguignon
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Generously season the beef on all sides with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other oven-proof pan over high heat.
- Sear the meat in batches until they are well browned.
- Set the meat aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, cook the lardon (or pancetta or bacon) until they are brown and crispy.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until the garlic is aromatic.
- Remove the lardon and garlic with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Remove any excess oil from the pan. Leave just a few tablespoons of oil in the pan.
- Add the pearl onions, and cook for a few minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions to the same plate as the lardon.
- Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Add the tomato paste and continue stirring.
- Pour in the wine, water and sugar.
- Stir everything together and let the mixture come to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Return the meat to the pan together with any of the juices from the meat.
- Return the lardon, onions and garlic to the pan as well.
- Tie the parsley, thyme and rosemary together with some kitchen string, and add this bouquet garni to the pan.
- Place the cloves and peppercorns into a small muslin bag or spice pouch, or simply add them to the pan if you don’t mind fishing out these bits later.
- Add the bay leaf to the pan.
- Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Place the pan in the oven for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. If you are using large pieces of beef, you may need up to 4 hours cooking time.
- Check on the stew regularly to make sure it is simmering away very gently and that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- At about 2 hours, taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- At about 30 minutes before serving, add the mushrooms to the stew. At this stage, I find it easier to finish cooking the stew on the stove over a low heat.
- Remove and discard the bouquet garni, spice pouch (if using), and bay leaf.
- Taste for seasoning. Depending on how dry your red wine is, you might need a teaspoon of sugar or more.
- Garnish the stew with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with Baguette Dumplings or boiled whole potatoes.
For the Baguette Dumplings
- Slice the baguette into little pieces and place them in a medium bowl.
- Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan and pour the milk over the bread.
- Cover the bowl with clingfilm and set it aside for 15 minutes.
- Season with freshly ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Add the parsley and egg, and sprinkle over the flour.
- Use your hands to mix everything together. The mixture should be moist and slightly sticky and able to hold its shape. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour.
- Take a small handful of the mixture and shape them into dumplings, slightly larger than a golf ball. Or you can make them as big or as small as you like.
- To cook the baguette dumplings, melt some butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
- Cook the dumplings until they are golden and crispy on all sides.
Kitchen Notes
WHAT TYPE OF BEEF TO USE
* For a beef stew like Beef Bourguignon, you need to use a cut of beef which is suitable for slow-cooking, such as chuck steak, beef shoulder or even beef shin.
* I recommend buying the stewing beef in one large piece, and slicing it up yourself into large portions. The large portions of meat take a bit longer to cook, but they are nicer for serving and more pleasant to eat than if you were to cook this dish with lots of small pieces of meat.
WHAT TYPE OF RED WINE TO USE
“If it’s not good enough for drinking, it’s not good enough for cooking.” Use any dry red wine which you would be happy to drink with your meal. It does not necessarily have to be an expensive wine. A Burgundy is traditional for this recipe, but I frequently use a Pinot Noir or Côtes-du-Rhône.
RECIPE CREDIT
The recipe for Baguette Dumplings is adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 441
- Sugar: 2.1g
- Sodium: 306.3mg
- Fat: 21.5g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 39.4g
- Cholesterol: 126.5mg
Update
This recipe was first published on 27 April 2012. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.
This looks scrumptious Creme and just the weather for it! Hubby makes similar dumplings called Knodel (buy they are without the bread crust) really good and as you say a change from the normal dumplings/potatoes etc. Fabulous photos too, as usual!
Thanks, Hannah! 🙂 I’ve also tried Knödel but I think they were steamed dumplings. This was actually a few years ago in Austria where a good friend celebrated her birthday with the most amazing buffet of local Austrian food, including Knödel which was served alongside a stew of some sorts … my memory is bit hazy now! But they were so delicious! Given that Rachel Khoo is part Austrian, I wonder if these baguette dumplings draw some inspiration from the Knödel? Given the bright spark she has given to French cuisine, imagine what she could do with Austrian cuisine!
Knodels are most often boiled potato dumplings and are a local dishes for many central European countries such as Austria, Poland, Czech Rep etc.
Oh, love the new pictures you added. Love in fact the look of your blog.
Another to do from your blog for my list but first the wonderful, beautiful looking rhubarb cake.
Thank you, Ann! I can’t wait for you to try the Rhubarb Custard Tea Cake! Please keep me posted 🙂
Oh Thanh, what a post! What pictures!!! I love the first ingredients piccie, and admire your patient resolve to get the three bay leaves, just so! I so admire the clean, streamlined, classic look of your photos 🙂 As for the stew, oh it has to be one of the best ever created. The baguette dumplings sound so very intriguing, the almost french equivalent to american biscuits, no?? It sounds like it would be a wonderful accompaniment to a light, broth like chicken stew and can’t help thinking of an asian slant to these already! Your poor Hubby, hahah! I cannot believe he listened and walked away from the bread. Brad would scowl and tell me where I should go!
I will definitely do this but it will have to wait at the end of the year again. It’s hitting 35 deg C now, at 10am so there is no chance a hearty, bolstering, full-on stew like this would be welcome at the moment.
FANTASTIC post 😉 I have to get this book. Miss Khoo should be paying you commission!!
I don’t think these baguette dumplings are typical in France, although they now should be! As Hannah has alluded, I think these dumplings are closer to the Austrian Knödel which are steamed dumplings, typically served alongside meat or stews. But unlike the Knödel which are really light and fluffy, these baguette dumplings are much more dense, but in a good way.
I’m thinking I might make these baguette dumplings to serve alongside ALL stews, LOL! But you’ve made a good suggestion … I reckon American biscuits would also be great with boeuf bourguignon! Yum!!
If it’s blisteringly hot where you are, I think it would also be wise to wait until the end of the year before you embark on this recipe. We thought spring had arrived early in Switzerland but we then had a cold snap in the last few weeks where it has rained and snowed, providing me with the perfect excuse to make this dish 🙂
I wonder what Mademoiselle Khoo thinks of me blogging about her book … it can only be a good thing, no?
Definitely 🙂 She’d be daft not to!
I hope so! I’ve tried quite a few recipes but haven’t had a chance to photograph some of them, but I will still blog about them somewhere soon. Some recipes have been really good, some have been so-so … But that’s to be expected of any cookbook, I guess 🙂
Oh, how I wish I had a bowl of this in front of me right now. It is a grey, damp, miserable day here and this would be the perfect dish.
Oh I hope the weather picks up in London soon! It’s going to be 24°C in Zurich tomorrow 🙂 That said, I’m almost sad that I’m unlikely to make this dish again until autumn/winter … those dumplings are heavenly!
You had me at dumplings! I was in the bookshop this morning and finally got a chance to flip through this book. I wound up getting two books for my kids instead (oh, the sacrifices we make!), but I’ll definitely be buying it at some point.
Oh I’m sure your kiddies will appreciate the gesture 🙂 I’ve surprised myself by how much I have cooked from this book since I bought it a few weeks ago. I’m not sure this has happened to me with any other cookbook. It’s fun when you find a cookbook that resonates with you 🙂
That looks so classy. I wish I ate beef but I don’t. This looks so good. The photography is beyond amazing. I end up buying books on baking and none on cooking because there is very little that appeals to me in a cook book. We don’t eat most kinds of meat and sea food 🙁
Thank you, Anita 🙂 I haven’t worked out yet which I enjoy more – cooking or baking. But I’m rather selective about which cookbooks I buy because the recipes have to appeal to me when I am flicking through the book.
Being a vegetarian certainly limits the types of recipes you can try but, as you would know, it should not limit the taste of your meals. I would certainly make these baguette dumplings to serve alongside a vege stew, something where you might serve it with boiled or mashed potatoes.
that’s a great suggestion. Thanks so much!
What fascinating dumplings ! I came across bread based dumplings in Prague, but the bread must have been fine crumbs which were then incorporated into a dough. These sound very different.
Liz, these dumplings are really delicious! The moment I started to fry them in the butter and had the wonderful aroma waft up to my nose, I knew they would taste great. I’ve also tried dumplings in Prague and they were quite different to these. Actually, I didn’t really like the dumplings in Prague! Maybe it was because we ate a place which was catering to tourists and didn’t seem to focused on their cooking, but I didn’t try any other dumpling in Prague after that! Though, we did stumble across some amazing restaurants in Prague which were out of the tourist areas, one being a Thai restaurant which served probably one of the best Thai meals I have had in my life! I initially didn’t think Prague would be a foodie destination but I certainly left with lots of good food memories.
I am also very curious about those baguette dumplings, it looks delicious !
I bet the French now wish they came up with this idea! 😉 But it’s a lovely way of using up stale baguette, and an even more delicious way of serving boeuf bourguignon. I will definitely be making these dumplings again and again 🙂
I love your pictures. They are gorgeous. Even though I am a vegetarian, you make this dish look really good.
Oh thank you, Heather! Even though you wouldn’t want to sit down to a plate of boeuf bourguignon, I highly recommend the baguette dumplings 🙂
Beautiful!!!
Absolutely gorgeous photography, This dish is screaming comfort in every click..
Thank you, Reem!! It is a very comforting dish and I’m tempted to make it again very soon … or maybe just the dumplings! 😉
Great picture! Even better idea with the dumplings. Usually I just toast up a buttered baguette and serve alongside, but this seems a nice twist.
A toasted baguette is always delicious with boeuf bourguignon, but turning the baguette into some dumplings is – now that I’ve tried it – even better 🙂
WOW! I just found your blog when searching for this recipe (saw it on TV yesterday). Your entire site is GORGEOUS! I just spent over an hour reading through it and oohing and aching. 🙂
I’m going to make this for a special date night with my husband this week. He used to live in Paris and misses it a lot. I think a big bowl of this will ease the pain! 🙂
Oh thank you 🙂 I hope you’ve enjoyed browsing through my blog. With the weather cooling down significantly where we are, I think this dish will be on the menu again very soon. The baguette dumplings are just divine! The perfect meal for a date night, I think 😉
*oops, meant oohing and AHHHing, not aching!
I just discovered your blog when looking for reviews of this recipe online before I tried it myself. You’ve inspired me to make this version tonight. May I say your photography and food styling is so beautiful. I simply cannot wait to leisurely peruse your blog!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed making this dish. I’m planning on making it again soon, especially since the weather has been freezing where we are. Plus, I just adore these baguette dumplings. I hope you will enjoy browsing my blog 🙂
Your pictures are beautiful. Looking forward to making those dumplings. They look amazing!
Thank you! These baguette dumplings are really delicious. I hope you will enjoy them!
Wow, this recipe looks incredible. This is a great idea for dinner. I definitely want to try this, and I’m sure it’s very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
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I made this beef bourguignon and it was delicious! I thought it would be really difficult, being a French dish and all, but I found all of the ingredients and it turned out great. I’ve made your baguette dumplings before to go with another dish, and only finally got around to making the beef bourguignon. So glad I did!
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Beautiful recipe! I didn’t get to make the dumplings this time, but I will definitely make them to serve with the leftover beef bourguignon. I’m sure it’s going to taste even better tomorrow.
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