Hairy Bikers Beef Bourguignon Recipe

A full bottle of red wine goes into this Hairy Bikers beef bourguignon, and you can taste every drop in the finished sauce. The 1.6kg of well-marbled chuck braises with it for about three hours alongside bacon lardons, baby onions, and mushrooms, serving 6 at around 700 kcal.

Well-marbled beef is non-negotiable here, and the Meat Feasts cookbook headnote explains why: “lean meat will tend to become dry rather than succulent during the long cooking.” That fat breaking down over three hours is also what gives the sauce its body, which separates a proper bourguignon from just beef in wine.

You need to brown the beef in small batches, because a crowded pan drops the temperature and steams the meat instead of searing it. That deep caramelised crust on every chunk dissolves into the wine during the braise, and without it the sauce would taste thin and flat.

Hairy Bikers Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Braising Cuisine:British French Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:2 hours 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:3 hours Servings:6 servingsCalories:700 kcal Best Season:Winter

Description

Chunks of chuck steak braised in red wine with baby onions, chestnut mushrooms, and bacon lardons, finished with cornflour for a glossy, rich sauce. New potatoes or buttery mash and a simple salad are all you need alongside.

Ingredients

For the beef

• 1.6kg good-quality braising steak (such as chuck)
• 4 to 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• Flaked sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the stew

• 200g smoked bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 750ml red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml beef stock
• 2 large bay leaves
• 3 bushy sprigs of thyme

For the garnish

• 450g button onions, or 24 baby onions, unpeeled
• 25g butter
• 300g button chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved or quartered if large
• 2 heaped tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp cold water

Instructions

1. Cut and season the beef: Cut the steak into chunky pieces about 4 to 5cm each, trimming off any hard fat or sinew. Season well with salt and black pepper.
2. Brown the meat: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and fry the steak in batches over a medium-high heat until browned on all sides, turning every now and then and adding more oil if needed. Transfer each batch to a large flameproof casserole dish as it finishes, then preheat the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C, gas mark 3).
3. Cook the bacon and aromatics: Pour a little more oil into the frying pan and cook the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes until the fat crisps and browns, then scatter it over the steak. Add a touch more oil and fry the chopped onion over a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more before adding everything to the casserole.
4. Build the braise: Pour the red wine into the casserole with the meat, then stir in the tomato purée, beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and place in the oven for 1½ to 1¾ hours until the beef is almost completely tender.
5. Peel the baby onions: While the beef is in the oven, put the button onions in a heatproof bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave for 5 minutes, drain, then plunge into cold water. Once cool enough to handle, trim the root end and the skins will peel off easily.
6. Fry the onions and mushrooms: A few minutes before the beef is ready, melt half the butter with a touch of oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the baby onions for about 5 minutes until golden. Tip them into a bowl, then add the remaining butter and cook the mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes over a high heat until golden, turning often.
7. Finish the braise: Remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth, then fold in the fried onions and mushrooms. Return to the oven for 45 minutes more until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

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FAQs

Can I make this beef bourguignon in a slow cooker?

Brown the beef and bacon on the hob first, because that caramelised crust is what gives the slow cooker version the same depth as the oven one. Once browned, transfer everything with the wine, stock, tomato purée, and herbs, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Add the fried baby onions and mushrooms in the last hour so they hold their shape and keep some bite.

Stir in the cornflour mixture at the very end and let it bubble on the hob for a couple of minutes to thicken. The beef stifado on this site uses the same slow-braising principle with a Greek tomato and cinnamon sauce, so it makes a good follow-up if you enjoy this style of cooking.

Is there a lighter version of this recipe?

The Eat for Life cookbook has a diet-friendly take called “Rich Beef in Red Wine” that comes in at just 416 kcal per serving. It drops the butter entirely, swaps lardons for lean back bacon, uses 300ml of wine topped up with water instead of a full bottle, and cuts the meat to 1.25kg. Despite those changes, the headnote promises it “tastes richer than Bill Gates.”

For another slow-cooked centrepiece that feeds a crowd without the same calorie count, the lamb shoulder needs even less hands-on work and makes a brilliant Sunday lunch.

What red wine should I use for beef bourguignon?

A full-bodied red like Merlot, Côtes du Rhône, or a Burgundy Pinot Noir works best because it adds colour and depth to the sauce over the long cooking time. The recipe calls for a full 750ml though, so do not reach for anything you would not happily drink on its own. Cheap cooking wine with added salt will concentrate during the braise and leave a harsh, metallic taste.

Leftover wine will not go to waste if you make lamb shanks later in the week, since that recipe also calls for a generous splash of red in the braising liquid.

Why do the onions and mushrooms go in at the end?

Baby onions and mushrooms need far less cooking time than beef, so adding them at the start would turn the onions to mush and the mushrooms to rubber. Frying them separately in butter first also gives them colour and flavour of their own, which means they bring something to the finished dish rather than just disappearing into it.

The Hungarian goulash on this site works the same way, where peppers and potatoes go in at different stages to preserve their texture rather than cooking everything together from the beginning.

What should I serve alongside beef bourguignon?

The method suggests new potatoes and a salad on the side, and that simplicity is part of the charm. Buttery mash or crusty bread both soak up the wine sauce well, though a dish of dauphinoise potatoes turns this into a proper special-occasion meal if you want to go all out. Steamed green beans or a plain green salad are the best vegetable options, because anything too bold will fight the rich, winey sauce rather than complement it.