Boeuf Borguignon is one of life’s absolute pleasures; “comford food” doesn’t even begin to describe it. The richness, flavor, and satisfaction of beef braised in red wine are simply unparalleled. Although it requires a good deal of work, it is easy to be successful at it if you’re fastidious.
When it comes to making Boeuf Borguignon for twelve people, the method that I prefer is to make two six-serving batches at once in two, large casseroles. You’ll cook the onions and mushrooms while the stew is in the oven; those you can manage in sequential batches, using a ten-inch (or larger) skillet. Lastly, you’ll take advantage of the fact that the stew – although it’s damn good freshly made – is equally good reheated; you’ll let it rest overnight in the fridge.
Boeuf Borguignon for Twelve
Course: DinnerCuisine: French12
servingsall
daypart of
the nextMake two pots of stew at once. Cook the onions and mushrooms while the stew is in the oven. Let the stew rest overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
- For the stew
6 Tbs beef stock reduction
6 cups of cold water
8 packets unflavored powdered gelatin (see notes)
12-13 oz. thick-cut bacon (8 strips), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 lbs boneless chuck roast (see notes)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1 cup Williams Pear brandy (see notes)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
4 Tbs flour
2 bottles red wine (full bodied, like Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Chianti), plus more for serving with the stew
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, mashed (or more, to taste)
2 sprigs thyme (or 1/2-teaspoon dred)
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
Dinner rolls and butter, for serving
- For the braised onions
18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs olive oil
Salt & fresh ground pepper
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme (or 1/4-tsp dried)
4 sprigs parsley (or 1/2-tsp dried)
- For the sauteed mushrooms
2 lb mushroom, quartered
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
- For the potatoes
4 lbs baby (or fingerling) red or yellow potatoes
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Salt, to taste
2 tsp tarragon, or to taste
Directions
- Make the stew
- Whisk stock reduction into water in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 packet of gelatin evenly over the surface, wait 1 minute, whisk. Repeat with next packet. Continue until you’ve added all the gelatine. Wait 4 minutes; whisk one last time. Set aside.
- Divide bacon between 2 large (9″-10″ wide, 3″-4″ deep) casseroles. Turn heat to moderately high (setting 5-7 of 9, see notes), and saute the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes to brown very lightly, or until a fond just begins to develop. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Place a roast in each pot, and sear them on both sides (same heat setting), 5 minutes per side. Then, slice each roast lengthwise into thirds (each third should be about 2 inches wide), and sear the newly cut sides, 3 minutes per side. Cut all the beef into 2-inch cubes, and sear the newly cut sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat for any remaining roast(s). Set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Lower the stovetop heat (to setting 4-6), divide the onion and carrot between the pots, and saute until softened, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. One pot at a time, add 1/2-cup of the brandy, stand back, and ignite with a torch or long match to burn off the alcohol (see notes).
- Divide the bacon and the beef between the pots, adding them to the carrots and onion. Divide the salt and pepper between the pots, and toss. Divide the flour between the pots, sprinkling it over the top of the contents. Set the uncovered casseroles in the oven for 6 minutes. Toss the contents of the casseroles again and return to the oven for 6 more minutes. Lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casseroles from the oven.
- Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat in both pots is barely covered. (You’ll have leftover stock that you’ll use later.) Divide the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs between the pots. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for 4-1/2 hours. Checking once after the first hour to make sure the sauce is simmering. The meat is done when a fork pierces it effortlessly.
- Make the onions
- While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed. For the onions, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained. If they’re fresh, you’ll have to blanch them and remove their skins. Once the onions are ready, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet. (Keep them in an uncrowded, single layer; cook in batches if necessary.) Saute over medium heat (setting 3) for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart. Once all the onion are browned, get them all into the pan at once and pour in 1/2-cup of the gelatinized stock prepared for the stew, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover. Simmer over lowest heat until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes. (If using fresh herbs left on the stem, remove them.)
- Make the mushrooms
- For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms (in an uncrowded, single layer – in batches if necessary) and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
- Finish the stew
- To finish the stew, once the meat is tender, remove the casseroles from the oven and empty their contents into a sieve set over a large mixing bowl. Carefully wash one of the casseroles out. Place the beef – discarding any carrots or onions (I say “discard,” but I mean “eat as a nice little snack.”) – into tighly-sealable containers and when cool, refrigerate. Pass the sauce through a fat separator. You should have 3-5 cups of sauce, thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of the gelatinzed stock. If the sauce is too thin, pour it into a saucepot and boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. If you’re on the low end of volume, you can augment the sauce with remaining gelatinized stock, and/or any liquid that has accumulated with the sauteed onions or mushrooms. (See notes.) Taste for seasoning. Let the sauce cool, and refrigerate it in its own container. Refrigerate the onions and mushrooms.
- To reheat the next day, divide the meat between the two casseroles once again. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat. Skim and discard any fat that has congealed over the sauce. Spoon the sauce – which should be the consistency of Jell-O – over the meat and vegetables. Cover the pots, and place them in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 200°F and continue to bake until the sauce comes to a simmer, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to keep warm until ready to serve.
- Make the potatoes
- Peel away a single strip around the middle of each potato. Cut any especially large potatoes in half, so that they match the average size of the others. Place the steamer rack into the inner pot of an Instant Pot, and place the potates into the pot on top of the rack. Pour water over the potatoes. Twist the cover onto the pot, and set it the Steam function, less (7 minutes), high (pressure), quick release.
- Pour the contents of the inner pot into a strainer. Remove the steam rack and return the potatoes to the inner pot. Pour the butter over the potatoes and season them (generously) to taste with salt and tarragon. Toss gently. Replace the lid and keep warm.
Notes
- The gelatin will add body to a store-bought stock. Don’t use if for a homemade stock.
- It may take as many as three roasts to get to seven total pounds.
- Substitute Cognac for the pear brandy.
- If you have an ultra-high burner, moderately high (setting 5) will work for the bacon and beef. Otherwise, set the burner to high (setting 7).
- I prefer to transfer the pot to a trivet placed on the kitchen table, and ignite the alcohol there (because I have a lot of empty headroom over the table). Once the flames have died down a bit, I move it back to the stove, and adjust the heat to keep the alcohol burning, while keeping its flames from becoming dangerously high. Be careful.
- This isn’t a soup. It’s meat in a sauce. You eat it with a fork, not a spoon. Stretching out the sauce won’t improve its flavor, so do it only if you’re sure that you don’t have enough.
- Substitute egg noodles, rice, or even thick, grilled toast for the potatoes
The Backstory
Beouf Borguignon is the Jedi light sabre of cooking: it represents an essential rite of passage. A ton of people have written about it, and most of that writing cites Julia Child. This recipe comes directly from hers, with a few tweaks from Food52, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Serious Eats, and The Guardian.
Yeah, my method for making such a large batch requires a second casserole. You may not have one; I get that. My primary casserole was a lifetime investment. My secondary one isn’t nearly as good. It’s something I picked up at an estate sale. You might be able to borrow one from a friend, since I’m guessing that making twelve-person yeild of Boeuf Borguignon isn’t something you’ll be doing on a regular basis. Still, I do find other uses for my second pot. Cooking the same dish in both my high-end and middling pots at once is a fine lesson in the value of a really fantastic pot: the cheaper one is much fussier, especially when searing. But it works well enough.
When I’m making a stew of this caliber, in this quantity, it’s because I’m serving guests for a special occasion, like Christmas. Boeuf Borguignon is fabulous for Christmas. In that case, I want to make the best stew I can, and so I like to splurge on the roasts at a very fine, local butcher. I wind up paying a lot more (about 40% more) for them than I would at the grocery store, but I’m telling you, these butcher-bought roasts are glorious to behold, and in the finished stew they are deliriously good. Just to provide a little context, though, the guy in line ahead of me this past Christmas ordered a huge, standing rib roast for his Yuletide feast, and paid over $300 for it. You could almost the see the sweat bead up on his forehead when the butcher rang it up, and he very apprehensively mumbled, “God, I hope I don’t fuck this up.” My humble roasts, even if I did pay top dollar for them, were a fraction of the cost of that standing rib roast, and yet provided just as much happiness, I’m sure.
Social Learning
Making this much stew will take all day; you’ll have to make peace with that. And it’s a significant amount of work; you’ll have to embrace that, too. However, there’s plenty of time for short breaks. I suggest you take them.
Cooking two, six-serving batches of Boeuf Borguignon in two pots at once is not much more difficult than making a single, six-serving batch in one pot. It’d be shamefully misleading if I were to leave it at that, though. Beef Borguignon is a lot of work! Given that truth, making two batches at once isn’t twice as hard. That’s what I mean to say.
When the stew is finished, it might seem like the serving sizes will be too small, but they won’t. It’s quite rich and filling. Remember that you’ll accompany the stew with potatoes, and either preceed it or serve it with a hearty, green salad. A dozen people will have reasonable servings, and there’ll still be plenty left for most of them to have seconds and wind up a bit too full for dessert – which they’ll eat anyway. That’s the American way.
If you’re planning to serve only six people, consider cooking for twelve nonetheless. Boeuf Borguignon is fantastic leftover; it microwaves like a dream. You’ll have plenty to send home with your guests – and they’ll love you for it.
When sliding the pots into the oven, orient them so that one handle of each pot is facing toward you. This way, you can pull one of them most of the way out, twist it, and grab the other handle with the other hand. Otherwise, you may find you have too little maneuvering room to grab the pots easily.
When putting together this post, I had a bottle of Louis Jadot Pinor Noir Bourgogne 2018 (>$20) that I planned to use … but do you see my problem? I had “a” bottle. So in the second pot, I wound up having to use a much cheaper Clos du Bois Pinot 2017 (<$10) that I would probably never drink and can’t understand why I had in the first place. This turned out to be the perfect cooking-with-wine experiment: I used one bottle for one of the pots, and second for the other. The Clos du Bois pot made a good – completely respectable – stew, so that’s a plus. However, the Louis Jadot made a spectacular stew. The sauce had much more flavor and body. Moral of the story, a grocery store roast and a bargain barrel wine will make a good stew – just fine for everyday … but if you want one that’s transcendent, something more appropriate for a special occasion, you need better-quality ingredients.
Boeuf Borguignon for Twelve
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor and Proper Circle. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Make It Like a Man! has been ranked by Feedspot as #15 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
Wow – what a detailed post/recipe Jeff. This was one of my Dad’s specialties and our family always looked forward to it. He took short-cuts, such as canned mushrooms, jars of onions, etc. Hope to try your version some time over the holidays 🙂 Just printed out the recipe…
I can not blame him for the shortcuts! This is a lot of work.
Un piatto irresistibile, perfetto per le giornate invernali, molto invitante, complimenti!!!
Thank you so much!
Jeff – believe it or not, I was wondering how to pull off Boeuf Bourguignon for a crowd! This is a really valuable post and I am saving it! Until COVID made a major spike here, I was considering a nice dinner for friends at Christmas. I guess this will need to wait again… but at least I have your recipe. The use of the gelatin is brilliant!
Yes, I can’t remember where I heard the geletin trick, but I think it was from one of the places I cite in the small print. It’s great if you’re using a store-bought stock. I made this last Christmas, actually, and this post has been waiting around until now. It was a lot of work, but it was also a huge hit, and a fantastic Christmas meal.
7 lbs of chuck roast…and you said it’s for two? That’s COOL!! I could eat beef for breakfast and this looks right up my alley.
angiesrecipes recently posted…Poppy Streuselkuchen with Pomegranate
Hahah! No, I said it’s for twelve! Although honestly, if I made this just for my husband and myself, believe me, we’d get through it even if it took us a week. It’s extremely good leftover.
My mouth is watering! This is something I have not made but is on my list if we ever have another party. Thank you for all of the detailed instructions. Better quality ingredients almost always make the dish better don’t they?
They sure do. And thanks!
The use of gelatin to thicken the stew (instead of flour) is very unusual- I applaud your ‘ground-breaking’ approach. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! There is flour, but the gelatin makes up for what you’re missing with a store-bought stock.
I like that you refrigerated the stew overnight. That allows you to remove the fat. Likewise when I make a turkey or chicken stock as a base for soups, I refrigerate the stock to make it easier to discard the fat.
Marjorie recently posted…Shakshuka with Sourdough Flatbreads
Thanks! Plus, it means I won’t be exhausted when my guests arrive!
Not many food writers would plainly state that it takes all day and part of the next. You’re an honest guy, in addition to being a talented cook!
I do try to be honest – I’m very much not part of the fabric of modern society in that sense.
This looks wonderful. I should venture out from my standard Julia Child BB recipe. Yours looks great.
Chef Mimi recently posted…Baked Brie with Cranberries, Pistachios, & Sumac
Thanks, Mimi!
I’ve only made Julia’s recipe, but it’s been a while!! I may have to buy a good bottle of wine and make half a batch for our Sunday night dinner! You’ve made me very hungry just thinking about it!!
Liz recently posted…Stained Glass Cookies
Haha!
This is my JT’s specialty, and it is incredible. The aromas that waft through the house are incredible and the end result is life-changing! I am not a big stew person (I know) but I adore this dish. JT uses Julia’s recipe. He’s only made it for four but if we need to feed twelve, this is exactly where we are coming. Love this.
Éva Taylor’ recently posted…Mussels Escabeche
Thanks, Eva! Not a stew person?!?! 🙂
I know. Perhaps it’s the type of stews I was originally introduced to? Not sure. But I do love Bœuff Bourguignon! and 12 servings would make a lot of dee-licious leftovers in our house!
Eva Taylor recently posted…Cranberry Crumble Bars
Sounds like a lot of thought went into making this recipe and good suggestions for making it for a crowd which is probably helpful for those making a Christmas meal.
Judee recently posted…Egyptian Lentils and Rice- Mujadara in the Instant Pot
Thanks, Judee!
Le tue spiegazioni e la bellezza del tuo piatto, fanno venir voglia di iniziare a prepararlo subito!
Oh, thank you so much!
Hi Jeff. Congratulations on this version, it should be a dish full of flavor. It takes time to cook it, and it is better to do it on vacation days.
Happy Wednesday.
That’s for sure! Thanks!
Golosissima proposta!
Thank you!
Indeed, any stew gets only better after few days in a fridge in my book, so making a large batch totally makes sense! This looks perfectly comforting and inviting!
Thanks, Ben!
Can you make it for 13 next time and invite me? LOL
Beef Beef Borguignon is one dish I haven’t attempted to make myself because like you said, it is a lot of work. However, if I ever get motivated, I will certainly make a double batch because I actually think stews are so much tastier the next day once the flavors have had more time to marry together in the refrigerator.
Theresa recently posted…White Chocolate Pear Tart
There’s always room for 13! 😉
Jeff, this hands down my favorite meal during the autumn and winter ( although I live in Florida) for entertaining. Absolutely soulful. Good food, good wine, good family and friends, who could ask for more!
Merriest of holidays to you.
Velva
Velva recently posted…Why The Wine Glass Matters
Thank you!
A marvelous dish, a classic for good reason! Part of our regular rotation during the cold weather months, but I’ve never attempted anything like 12 servings. Color me impressed!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina recently posted…Zuppa alla canavesana (Piedmontese Bread and Cabbage Soup)
I like to have lots of friends over for Christmas, and one of my few rules of the house is that there always must be leftovers!
Bœuff Bourguignon is JT’s specialty, he uses Julia Child’s recipe to a T and it works beautifully every time. I love the flambé part to your recipe, a real show stopper! Next time he plans to make this dish, I’ll send him here to see if he’d like to tweak his version. Nicely done!
Éva Taylor recently posted…Mussels Escabeche
Thanks!
Gracias por la receta. Se ve muy rico.
Citu recently posted…En las Sombras de tu Corazón. Capítulo 29 ( Segunda Parte)
You’re welcome, Citu!
un plat convivial que l’on aime beaucoup chez moi !
bonne semaine
Thank you, Sandriine. Have a wonderful week!
Il est très appétissant ton beauf bourguignon un vrais régal .
Je te souhaite un bon lundi et une bonne semaine .
Thank you, Jacques, and a good week to you, too!
A very interesting recipe. It looks appetizing 🙂 Great culinary inspiration!
Greetings from Poland!
Klaudia Zuberska recently posted…Świąteczne inspiracje – fotografie, muzyka, filmy 🎅 | Christmas inspirations – photos, music, movies ⛄️
Dziękuję Klaudia!
Quite a fun note about the side-by-side tests on the wine, Jeff. One is good, but the other is great. I like the idea of making this in 2 casserole dishes, too. Much more manageable that way! Also, I’m thinking I need to come to your place on Christmas. I hear you serve good wine. 🙂
David @ Spiced recently posted…Chocolate Peppermint Pie
Yes, I always serve good wine on Christmas, because one of the guests usually brings some! 😉
A lovely and ambitious recipe Jeff. I make boeuf bourguignon from time to time, but I too have never used gelatin. Brilliant idea and one I must try…
Ron recently posted…Pizza in the OONI, Swedish style…
Thanks, Ron!
I totally agree that Boeuf Borguignon is fabulous to serve for Christmas dinner. It is special and any leftovers only taste better the next day. Merry Christmas, Jeff.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas, Karen!