Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe

Related Posts

• Judith & Julia’s Steps Through Paris: Mastering the Art of French Coping
• Winner of the Julia Child Bookseller Contest
• Julia vs. Lidia: A Culinary Showdown

200 Responses to “Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe”

1. CaptPoco says:

   January 20, 2010 at 4:48 am

   @ Miriam Ghabour
   If you don’t drink wine, I suggest beer. If that isn’t good, then, yes, you could make it with broth instead of stock. You’ll need to make 6 c though, which means that you’ll have to, essentially, make a pot of tasty beef soup just to add it to this dish. It’s your call, but it seems like a lot of work to me.

   Your best bet is to take the ingredients for this dish and instead use them to make Beef Stroganoff. It’s the same thing, except with heavy cream rather than wine. It contains some Cognac, but that can easily be omitted.

   @ Bailey
   I’m pretty sure you serve the same kind of wine that you made the beef with.

   In general, I find that cooking the vegetables separately is unnecessary, and that the bacon can easily be replaced with a few tablespoons olive oil with no discernible change in flavor.
2. JC says:

   January 23, 2010 at 2:35 pm

   It’s noon & I’ve just completed the recipe for dinner tonight. It looks perfect, smells wonderful. But I find my rump roast is dry. I’m very disappointed after all the work. We cooked it at 320 for 3 hrs. Haven’t decided whether or not to serve it. Would it have been different at the 2hr mark? And/or another cut of meat.
3. Shari says:

   January 24, 2010 at 10:01 pm

   Wow, the wine taste is strong. I’m not surprised because it’s literally “beef stewed in wine” but I’m not use to eating something with such a strong wine taste. Holy moly. Less wine more broth next time. Although now I can saute mushrooms whereas I didn’t know I was doing it wrong. Pretty cool overall. I had to read the recipe several times. I think that it’s pretty well written for being a french cook book. However, even though it is just a half a century old, some of the wording is becoming archaic. Which sets me aback. It’s astonishing that the English language can change so rapidly as to make simple instructions start to sound archaic.
4. caroline says:

   January 26, 2010 at 10:06 pm

   what about using short ribs? looking at the recipe, i was surprised that was not the first choice meat. its such a good and tender meat for stewing. i will try it this weekend. stay tuned.
5. Fern says:

   January 31, 2010 at 4:00 pm

   I’ve made this once with great success, and I’m doing it again today. The rump roast was surprisingly tender for such a lean cut of meat. To the earlier post about dry meat, I would cook it longer rather than shorter time. Short ribs are so rich, it would probably change entirely the character of this dish.

   I found the recipe for sauteed mushrooms most instructive. I didn’t think there was anything new I could learn about cooking mushrooms after 40 years of doing it!
6. ROTHNH says:

   January 31, 2010 at 5:49 pm

   @ Caroline = If you read previous posts here, you will note that I recommended Beef Short Ribs as the ideal cut of beef for this recipe — Boneless or Bone-in both work extremely well here.
7. paul chlopas says:

   February 1, 2010 at 7:39 am

   Amazing recipe. Follow it to the T and you can’t go wrong. JC – maybe you left the lid off? or not enough wine. This cannot turn out dry if you follow all the instructions. ENJOY!
8. Bob Whitlock says:

   February 2, 2010 at 2:26 pm

   As far as cuts of meat are concerned, I like chuck for its flavor and its marbling of fat which tends to make the meat moister. If you choose a very lean cut–shoulder for example–you’ll probably be disappointed. This dish is interesting in that it’s not difficult, just time consuming to do correctly–a two-day recipe, really. I pulled out the 20-quart stock pot to make beef stock, roasting shin and knuckle bones for almost three hours before adding them to the pot–it takes about 12 hours to make stock! But…what a difference in the result. My suggestion for wine is to find an inexpensive dry red wine that is “fruity,” not austere, like a cotes du rhone with lots of grenache or even an australian shiraz. Just choose a wine you would actually drink! My one labor saving tip is to buy Birds Eye frozen onions instead of laboriously blanching and peeling pearl onions. Finally, the observation that while, yes, you can boil the sauce to reduce it, if you like the flavor of the sauce and it’s too thin, you have the option of using a beurre manie–kneaded butter. Just take a tablespoon of flour and knead it into an ounce of softened butter with a fork. The smooth mixture is then added to the sauce and brought to a boil while whisking. Arrowroot and cornstarch are other thickening agents, but I prefer the ol’ beurre manie.
9. Jeanne says:

   February 5, 2010 at 5:12 pm

   I made this for several friends a couple of weeks ago, and it was perfection. I used lean stew beef, french burgundy and followed the recipe to the letter. The meat melted in our mouths. All the work was more than worth it. If you are looking for a 30 minute meal is is NOT it. Couldn’t have asked for a better meal that day.
10. Wendy Dennis says:

    February 5, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Just for fun, click on jumpingonion at http://www.culinaryq.com

    A wonderful recipe, even better when made with a friend.
11. Lee says:

    February 7, 2010 at 8:39 pm

    I’ve read this recipe over many times. I don’t know where the carrots and onions ended up. Are they in the pot with the beef and flour to be simmered ? Do they get removed and put back later or do they disappear as the copy leads me to believe. “Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it”, then later “Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables” What vegetables? I’d really like to try this recipe for my friends, but I’m stuck.
12. angela says:

    February 8, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    Hi Lee! Funny, you aren’t the first person to ask that question. The vegetables are the third step on page two of the pdf (pg 316 of the book). Its just carrots and sliced onions — but they do add a lot of flavour.

    Of course, the pearl onions and mushrooms come in later.

    Hope that helps!

    angela
13. a says:

    February 8, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    I have asked that question and read from the book and PDF and it is not at all clear, however the carrot and sliced onion are removed and discarded when the meat is strained. In Julia childs the french chef video she dosn’t use the carrot and sliced onion so I concider it optional I have made it both ways with and without the use of carrot and sliced onion and there is very little difference in flavour. However, I would use them as I think she omitted them from the video due to time and budget.

    Would like to know what everyone else thinks.
14. Heather says:

    February 8, 2010 at 8:59 pm

    I have always left the carrot and onion in as the recipe does not say to take it out. I use the peeled baby carrots. By the time all is said and done the sliced onion has disappeared anyway.
15. Nancy says:

    February 9, 2010 at 11:57 am

    My cookbook just arrived in the mail yesterday! This is the first recipe that I want to try. I like to cook and do frequently so I think I can handle it. Everyone’s suggestions are very interesting. I think I will follow it completely for my first try. My mom’s best advice to my sister and I when we got married was to always follow the recipe. It was written that way for a reason. It took her years to learn that the hard way. However, I am not very wine savvy. Can someone suggest a cheap brand and name of wine that I should use? Something that won’t leave behind a strong wine taste…
16. Grace says:

    February 10, 2010 at 8:47 am

    I think I am going to make it on Sunday. It will be nice and cold outside and I don’t have any other plans. Question on the bacon–is this the same as the salt pork I see in the grocery store?

    Also, what about the beef stock. Can I buy it in a regular grocery store–I’ve never noticed because I usually buy the broth. I don’t think I’m wanting to take the time to make the stock, especially since I’d probably have to go to the butcher. I’d rather just be able to make a stop at the supermarket for the ingredients.
17. ROTHNH says:

    February 10, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    @ Nancy = regarding what wine to use, I suggest you use J.P. Chenet Cabernet- Sirah, it’s a French wine that’s available in many grocery stores in a 3 liter box, has great flavors and won’t break the bank at under $20. Use your own advice — follow the recipe *exactly* and don’t fret about the wine so much. Other wine choices are listed in posts here and all are great choices.

    @ Grace = the BACON used in this dish is bacon *not* salt pork. If you can’t find slab bacon locally, use a good, lean thick sliced bacon. Many deli departments offer slab bacon and can slice it for this recipe. The BROTH works like this — the better the broth, the better the dish, so it’s best to make your own from scratch (sorry, there’s no silver bullet on this). However, you might want to check (phone) a local gourmet store (assuming you live in or near a decent sized city) and ask if they stock a good quality beef stock; whatever you do, stay away from cubes.granules in the grocery stores.
18. Nancy says:

    February 10, 2010 at 6:06 pm

    I made mine last night… and it was wonderful! I was very pleased with how well it turned out! I was upset though that I did not make it home with my bay leaves. The saute’d mushrooms were SO delicious with the meat. I served it with mashed potatoes and it was heavenly! I will definitely be making this in the future for special occasions. Can’t wait to try other recipes! Happy Cooking!
19. angela says:

    February 10, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    Regarding the broth – I’ve had good luck with Campbells Low Sodium broth in the tetra boxes – not sure if you have it in the States? Its not horrible — a far sight better than the granules or cubes. And since its not condensed, it tastes fairly reasonable.

    I don’t often have the time it takes to make broth having a long commute for work and 2 kids to look after when I’m home. But I agree with you, ROTHNH, that a homemade broth is the best choice!
20. Larry says:

    February 10, 2010 at 11:49 pm

    For the beef stock we used the Kitchen Basics brand. For the wine we used Beaujolais Villages Latour. It was something amazing. The mushrooms were very tempting to snack on while we were waiting to add to the pot and put back in the oven.
21. Jessica K says:

    February 11, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    Hoping someone can help. I’ll be making this dish for the first time on Sunday for my husband for Valentine’s day.

    First- I could not find any of the suggested wines (young, full bodied that is listed on the first page of the recipe), so I bought Cabernet Sauvignon because the description on the bottle mentions it’s a full bodied red, good for beef roast. Will this work ok?

    Second- I do not have a casserole dish which is what the recipe uses to cook in. I bought a 12 Quart Granite Ware Stock Pot with lid. Will this work? Will I need to alter any part of the recipe for proper cooking?

    Thank you in advance for whoever can help. I have never made anything that requires so much (I am sure once I do it once, I won’t be so nervous the next time), but I wanted to make something special for my husband for valentine’s day.
22. Sharon Hegarty says:

    February 12, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    Hi, the smells coming from the oven are amazing…… I now know why Julie had that expression on her face (in Julie & Julia) when she tasted the Boeuf Bourguignon. I am hoping to have a similar experience.
23. ROTHNH says:

    February 12, 2010 at 6:02 pm

    @ Jessica K = You’re fine on the wine — it’s a good choice. Always use a wine you like to drink.

    Your Granite Stock Pot will work just fine as well. It’s a good choice if you’re starting out and you don’t want to shell out a lot of money. Later on, consider enamel cast iron – these can be quite pricey, but we’ve seen some great values on these at discount stores, such as the larger TJMaxx stores.

    It’s been said here already, but it’s important to mention that you follow the recipe *exactly* for success. I suggest you read the posts here too, as some tips, such as buying good quality beef stock instead of making it yourself and using frozen Bird’s Eye Pearl Onions can save you time and still produce a fine finished dish.
24. Brenda B. says:

    February 13, 2010 at 4:24 pm

    I too – along with many it turns out, will be making this dish for the first time for my hubby for Valentines day.
    Thanks everyone for the ‘heads up’ on a few of the details & suggestions.
25. Beth says:

    February 13, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    My beef is in the oven now! Making this for a group of 8 for a special Valentine’s Dinner tomorrow. All of the discussion has been extremely helpful.

    I have some clarifying questions: Once the beef is cooked I need to strain the beef and bacon from it. “into sieve set over saucepac”–does this just mean put the sauce in a sauce pan and beef and bacon separate? Once I’ve skimmed the fat, does all of the sauce WITH carrots and onions go back over beef, bacon, mushroom and pearl onions? OR leave those out at that point?

    At that point–since we are eating it tomorrow, I should let it cool and refrigerate? THen just re-heat on stove top tomorrow before serving, correct?
26. Suzanne says:

    February 14, 2010 at 10:15 pm

    I made it yesterday as a run through for a dinner party next weekend. It was great last night, but even better tonight. I will always make this the day before to let the flavors meld. I used grass-fed chuck, cotes-de-rhone, and cippolini onions (because that was all I could find at the store that day).

    I, too, was confused about the carrots and onions but decided to get rid of them after straining the sauce as they seemed too few to really belong in the final product.

    I would like to hear from people about what they did for a side/potato/veg dish.
27. Shana says:

    February 16, 2010 at 4:07 am

    I made this last night (just finished leftovers – yum). Used demi-glace to make beef broth – dumped a big scoop in hot water. I don’t find the commercial broths very tasty and I didn’t want the wine flavor to be overwhelming. I won’t make it any other way as sauce was amazing with a delicate wine flavor in the background. Served it over mashed potatoes, also highly recommend.
    Cheers.
28. Nancy says:

    February 16, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    Suzanne – I agree with Shana. I am from Iowa so meat and potatoes are always the norm. I used a little bit of stock to soften the potatoes and give them more flavor when I mashed them. Of course I added lots of butter and it was DEVINE.
29. Gail says:

    February 16, 2010 at 9:29 pm

    I love carrots in almost anything, so I added a lot more of them than the recipe called for, and left them in. It added great flavor and texture to the stew, and I would recommend this to anyone. (Conversely, potatoes in the stew I would NOT do.)

    It took me 25 minutes to peel a small bag of pearl onions, and later Iearned how to make that easier (like, 4 minutes) by dropping them in boiling water for about a minute. Then you can literally pinch the onion out of its skin. (Wish I’d known that the first time!)

    The mushrooms were divine, and I served mine on the side since one guest doesn’t care for them.
30. Cindy says:

    February 18, 2010 at 10:20 pm

    Suggestions for side dishes to be served with Beef Bourguignon
31. ROTHNH says:

    February 19, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    @ Cindy = Serve w/a good fresh salad (whatever salad veggies and dressing you prefer) with good, crusty bread. Read above comments above for more.
32. betty says:

    February 22, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Hi,
    I, for some reason, have never been a fan of pearl onions. Are they just a small version of the common varieties of large onions we see in stores? Can I substitute larger onions cut into chunks?
33. ROTHNH says:

    February 23, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    @ Betty = Go with the pearl onions. As noted here before, Bird’s Eye frozen work great and are a real time saver.
34. Heather says:

    February 23, 2010 at 6:49 pm

    Betty Betty Betty
    If the onions are just a small version of the common variety WHY spoil what is now a classic recipe ~ go all out and just follow it.
    As Rothnh has reminded you – they are available peeled and frozen and ready to add.
35. ROTHNH says:

    February 23, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    WTG Heather!

    Best advice = follow the recipe *exactly* — don’t overthink it and don’t deviate. That, my friend, spells *success.*
36. Vickie says:

    February 24, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    I saw the movie Julie and Julia, but can’t recall the trick to cooking the mushrooms properly. Can someone remind me of what to do?? I am so interested in trying this myself…just bought a large Le Creuset!!
37. Cathy says:

    February 26, 2010 at 12:46 am

    “never crowd the mushrooms”
38. Lisette says:

    February 26, 2010 at 11:28 am

    Vickie, the secret to sauteed mushrooms is not to crowd them in the skillet.
39. ROTHNH says:

    February 26, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    @ Vickie = read the second PDF at the top of this page, twice. Everything you need to know is there.
40. Blue says:

    February 27, 2010 at 12:46 pm

    If you don’t usually give a lot of weight to Internet comments on recipes, you REALLY need to make an exception here. This is the best stew I’ve ever eaten. My only deviation from the recipe is that I browned the beef and veggies in oil instead of rendered bacon fat. I used a chuck roast and it was seriously incredible. I did not remove the carrots or onions at the end.

    For sides, I tried both mashed potatoes and buttered orzo seasoned with s&p on different nights, and greatly preferred the orzo. The pasta texture is inexplicably perfect.
41. scott says:

    March 1, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    does anyone have a suggestion on cut of meat to use. I have made this twice and everything is wonderful except the actual meat, which is supposed to be the feature of the dish. It was tough the first time, and very dry and had no moisture or flavor in the meat itself the second time. I have always heard that you never want to boil meat, but at the recommeded temp my juices are bubbling in the oven.
42. Ron says:

    March 1, 2010 at 10:12 pm

    JC…it was probably dry because you need to adjust the heat to “just barely simmer”. I dropped my oven to 250 after the first 15 mins and it was perfect. 350 will boil away too much liquid.

    Also, I cant tell from your post if you cubed your rump roast, or left it whole. The brazing process seals the beef and locks in moisture and flavor.
43. Jean says:

    March 5, 2010 at 6:26 pm

    I’ve had this recipe in my repertoire for decades but haven’t made it in years. Like everyone else, I got in the mood to make it after seeing Julie & Julia last summer. But it was too hot, and I’m just now getting around to it. I’ll be blogging about it next week.
44. Linda says:

    March 6, 2010 at 4:09 pm

    Help. I’m cooking the recipe for a dinner tomorrow for 12 friends. Can I just double the ingredients and cook everything for the same amount of time? Also I can’t find whole bacon with rind. Can I use thick cut bacon?
45. Melissa says:

    March 6, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    I plan on making this tomorrow and purchased all my ingredients today. I think I got the wrong kind of wine though, I picked up a shiraz. Will this work?
46. Jeff says:

    March 6, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    I just tried making this for my fiancee as a surprise and the meat turned out to be extremely dry. Where did I go wrong?

    My thoughts are:

    1.) Maybe I browned the meat too long (how long should you brown it for?)

    2.) 325 was too high for the meat for 2 1/2 hours as the pot was simmering rapidly. I lowered it to 250 for the last 40 minutes but maybe the damage was already done.

    3.) The cut of meat was sirloin tip. Maybe a better marbled meat? Does more marbling improve flavor & moisture?

    Help!

    Thanks!!!
47. Michelle says:

    March 9, 2010 at 3:27 am

    Cooking BB for my two BF’s, their daughters and their dog’s this Sunday. I want to show off my new oval enamel cast iron pot that was recently given to me by Ms Ray.

    This is the best site ever! I have time to make my own stock and do the hot water pearl onion trick.

    With salad, crusty bread and buttered orzo on the side!

    I’ll pick up a few bottles of Menage a Trois a California Red from Costco. I know the name is cheezy but it’s a very nice wine that is reasonably priced.

    Thank you ALL! What’s for dessert?
48. ROTHNH says:

    March 9, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    @ Michelle = for dessert, go with something light — see some suggestions above. I like a mousse — quick, easy, delicious and light.
49. Ron Sand says:

    March 9, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Jeff: Browning the beef requires a very hot pan that will retain the heat. I used the Le Creuset french oven I used in the oven. Don’t crowd the meat. It was still pink on the inside when I removed it.

    I found I could reduce the oven temp to 250 almost immediately after returning the pot to the oven. I’d bet it boiled off too much liquid. It was covered, right? Was the liquid thick, or thin?
50. Melissa says:

    March 9, 2010 at 4:08 pm

    So I made this on Sunday, and it was absolutely delicious. Perfect!
    I used a boneless top round roast and the meat was soooo tender.
    The only minor change I made was adding more carrots, about four. It was really good. I boiled potatoes and cut them in fours, spread them over the bottom of my dish and then put the stew over the top for serving. It was yummy.

    And Jeff, you probably did brown it too long. The point isn’t to actually cook the meat. It should still be pink on the inside. Just brown it on each side enough to sear it. It helps keep the juices and flavor inside the meat while it actually cooks. Also, while it was in the oven the juices are supposed to simmer, but not boil. Perhaps 300 degrees would have been okay if your oven runs a little too hot.