Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon ~ the ultimate homey dish from the Queen of comfort food herself! This easy beef stew will quickly become a family favorite.
I have to say right up front that I am a little biased…Ina Garten is by far my chef. She’s like Martha without the ego, Julia without ‘the voice’ and the crazy techniques, Nigella without the suggestive spoon licking, Rachel without the hyper-chatter, and Paula without the gooey this and gooey that. She’s kinda perfect. In a good way.
I could have chosen a million different dishes to make in honor of Ina, but I chose Beef Bourguignon because it represents a lot of what she’s all about. I would classify Ina’s style as simple, classic American comfort food, influenced by a passion for French life and cuisine. She and her husband Jeffrey made a four month sojourn to France early in their marriage that inspired a lifelong love of all things French. Throughout her career Ina has explored French cooking and has infused a French attitude towards food into her classic American dishes. Here she’s taken the venerable Beef Bourguignon, a dish that Julia Child taught us to make in excruciating detail, and simplified it… made it more friendly.
Her recipes are so well loved that they have a tendency to morph into family favorites and become so entrenched in our kitchens that we claim them as our own…her Parmesan Chicken has become one of ‘my’ signature dishes, the way so many recipes from the Joy of Cooking or Fannie Farmer have been been assimilated into our food culture over the generations. Part of the reason for this is that Ina’s recipes are almost always foolproof. You can count on them.
For me, anyway, the appeal of Ina’s cooking style is that it’s not overly ‘branded’; it’s not regional, ready in 30 minutes, diet-friendly or swimming in butter. From coconut cupcakes and lemon curd to lentil soup, it’s real food for real people, and whatever Ina is cooking is always exactly what I feel like eating.
But Ina’s franchise is as much about a lifestyle as it is about recipes. It’s the dreamy Hamptons New York world of cute little butcher shops, cheese mongers and creative florists whom Ina calls upon to help her craft parties, gatherings, or even just a special dinner for two. It’s a world where you walk outside your kitchen door into a sprawling herb garden, your adoring husband (and biggest fan) is always arriving home from work or a business trip just in time for his favorite perfectly roasted chicken, and neighbors pop over eager to barter something amazing in exchange for a batch of your brownies.
And somehow Ina manages to convey all this without a hint of superiority or entitlement. Maybe it’s her self-effacing giggle, that adorable upturned nose, or the swing of her impossibly shiny bob. She’s your dear friend next door, the aunt you always wanted, your best inner self.
Did I mention that I love Ina?
For more of Ina inspired recipes on the blog…
- INA GARTEN’S MUSTARD ROASTED CHICKEN
- 1770 HOUSE MEATLOAF
- LEMON CHICKEN SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING
- INA GARTEN’S COCONUT CUPCAKES
Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, 2 cloves
- 1/2 cup Cognac
- 750 ml bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
- 2 cups beef broth or stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, use a gluten free flour or thickener if desired
- 1 pound frozen whole onions
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
Instructions
- Set oven to 250F
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
- Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
- Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
Nutrition
Notes: I was too chicken to ignite the cognac, I just let it evaporate ‘naturally’. I also added the carrots along with the mushrooms towards the end of the cooking process instead of in the beginning with the onions. I really don’t like mushy carrots. I skipped the bacon (I was out) and used half the bottle of wine. It all turned out wonderfully.
Don’t forget to pin Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon!
I started working in small, boutique restaurants at age 18 and worked in corporate high-end chain restaurants throughout college and late 20’s. My first encounter with French cooking was watching Julia Child’s cooking show and purchased my first cookbook and the Bible of French cooking, “The Art of French Cooking”. I love Ina Garten’s recipes as she portrays the simplicity of good cooking using all fresh, high-quality ingredients. Her videos are spot on with demonstrating technique and her approachable manner like you are a friend invited to her kitchen to partake in the preparation of a sumptuous meal. She makes it seem so effortless!
I couldn’t agree more!
Can you double this recipe or half again?
Thanks in advance.
That should work fine Emily, enjoy!
Thanks so much, I do appreciate the quick response.
love this recipe
Love this recipe!!!! I follow ingredients and directions to the T. Don’t want to mess up an already great recipe.
It’s been in the oven for over an hour and a half and the meat still isn’t falling apart, should it be?
It’s my first time ever making this dish, and of course I chose Ina as my guide.
The chunks of meat should be tender, but it will sort of depend on the beef you used. If your chunks are very large, it may take a little more cooking time.
Adoro Ina, eu à acho excepcional, sorriso aberto, c/1 rara simpatia e numa linguagem simples transmite suas receitas com muita graça e firmeza!!!
Hello,
I don’t know anything about alcohol and I am not great at cooking, but when starting a go to menu that I will try and master, this is one I could be proud to make on a regular basis. I would like to know the exact brand of cognac and wine she used. Can anyone help me? I watched the video over and over and could not see the name on the bottles. I know it is probably expensive but since I don’t drink, the price is not a big deal for the splurge.
It’s the flavor, not the alcohol……cooking removes the alcohol due to evaporation
I was looking for a dish to serve very special guests and this was absolutely delicious. I also did not burn off the alcohol, afraid the smoke alarm would go off.
Delicious! But wow, was that flame enormous when I lit the cognac–glad I had a long match! Surprised the fire alarm didn’t go off.
Do you think you could make this a day ahead for a dinner party? Thanks!
Yes, the flavor would get even better. Be sure not to over cook the veggies, though.