Course
Main
Duration
4 to 5 hours
Serves
3 to 4
Beef bourguignon, also known as beef burgundy, is a classic dish that hails from the Burgundy region of France. The stew, consisting of meat slowly braised in red wine, served alongside pearl onions and mushrooms, was popularized in American kitchens by Julia Child. It also happens to be a great way to turn tough cuts of game meat into a succulent, satisfying meal during colder months.
This rendition swaps bourbon for wine, venison for beef, with a few other small tweaks here and there for optimal flavor cohesion. Just like you’d choose a wine that you’d gladly drink in classic bourguignon, make sure you pick a good bourbon here. I used Fox & Oden Bourbon Whiskey, it added memorable spicy notes to the sauce that really made this a stand-out dish.
I recommend serving this over creamy mashed potatoes, but you could also use roasted potatoes, polenta, buttery egg noodles, rice, or a couple pieces of good, crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb. venison roast or shank cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2-3 pieces, bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, large diced
- 2 carrots, large diced
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup bourbon, plus more
- 3-4 cups stock (venison, beef, or vegetable)
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1-2 tsp. Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
- 1-2 bay leaves
- ½ lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 bag pearl onions*, thawed and dried
- 1-2 tbsp. high-heat oil
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Note: You don’t have to use pearl onions, but they do offer a nice, crisp texture and are sweeter than regular yellow onions. If you want to swap for a full-sized onion, opt for a sweeter variety. I prefer buying pearl onions from the freezer section because it eliminates the prep work of peeling them, but if you want to peel fresh ones, feel free to do so!
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Thoroughly season meat with salt and pepper. If you can do this the night before, that’s ideal; if not, give it at least 10 minutes before cooking. Preheat your oven to 275°F.
- Brown bacon in a Dutch oven on medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and leave the fat.
- Brown meat on all sides in bacon grease, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, and set aside once done.
- Add onion and carrot to the pan, allowing them to soften for a couple of minutes before adding in garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Next, add in the tomato paste. Stir in to ensure everything is evenly coated, and allow the paste to lightly caramelize in the pan.
- Now, deglaze that pan with a hefty pour of bourbon, about ⅓ cup. (Be wary, this stuff is flammable!) Cook down, stirring and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the stock, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup. Once it’s boiling, taste it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now, put the meat back in the pot, and if needed, add more stock to cover. Place the lid on and place in the oven at 275°F for 3 to 4 hours.
- Once the meat is tender, strain the solids from the liquids. Sort the meat out and place it aside. Return the broth to the pot and simmer to thicken. If your sauce is very thin, you can thicken it by adding a cornstarch slurry. Use a 1:2 ratio of one part cornstarch and two parts water, so one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. (Alternatively, you can blend the carrots, onion, and garlic together with the broth to create a heartier gravy.)
- While the broth is thickening, heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high with enough high-heat cooking oil to sear the mushrooms and pearl onions. Once the mushrooms and onions are browned, season lightly with salt and pepper. Then, deglaze the pan with a shot of bourbon, stirring to fully incorporate.
- Once your sauce is thick enough for your liking, add the meat, bacon, mushrooms, and onions back into the pot. Allow this to simmer together for a few minutes before serving over your preferred starch.
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Beef bourguignon, also known as beef burgundy, is a classic dish that hails from the Burgundy region of France. The stew, consisting of meat slowly braised in red wine, served alongside pearl onions and mushrooms, was popularized in American kitchens by Julia Child. It also happens to be a great way to turn tough cuts of game meat into a succulent, satisfying meal during colder months.
This rendition swaps bourbon for wine, venison for beef, with a few other small tweaks here and there for optimal flavor cohesion. Just like you’d choose a wine that you’d gladly drink in classic bourguignon, make sure you pick a good bourbon here. I used Fox & Oden Bourbon Whiskey, it added memorable spicy notes to the sauce that really made this a stand-out dish.
I recommend serving this over creamy mashed potatoes, but you could also use roasted potatoes, polenta, buttery egg noodles, rice, or a couple pieces of good, crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb. venison roast or shank cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2-3 pieces, bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, large diced
- 2 carrots, large diced
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup bourbon, plus more
- 3-4 cups stock (venison, beef, or vegetable)
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1-2 tsp. Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
- 1-2 bay leaves
- ½ lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 bag pearl onions*, thawed and dried
- 1-2 tbsp. high-heat oil
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Note: You don’t have to use pearl onions, but they do offer a nice, crisp texture and are sweeter than regular yellow onions. If you want to swap for a full-sized onion, opt for a sweeter variety. I prefer buying pearl onions from the freezer section because it eliminates the prep work of peeling them, but if you want to peel fresh ones, feel free to do so!
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Thoroughly season meat with salt and pepper. If you can do this the night before, that’s ideal; if not, give it at least 10 minutes before cooking. Preheat your oven to 275°F.
- Brown bacon in a Dutch oven on medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and leave the fat.
- Brown meat on all sides in bacon grease, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, and set aside once done.
- Add onion and carrot to the pan, allowing them to soften for a couple of minutes before adding in garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Next, add in the tomato paste. Stir in to ensure everything is evenly coated, and allow the paste to lightly caramelize in the pan.
- Now, deglaze that pan with a hefty pour of bourbon, about ⅓ cup. (Be wary, this stuff is flammable!) Cook down, stirring and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the stock, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup. Once it’s boiling, taste it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now, put the meat back in the pot, and if needed, add more stock to cover. Place the lid on and place in the oven at 275°F for 3 to 4 hours.
- Once the meat is tender, strain the solids from the liquids. Sort the meat out and place it aside. Return the broth to the pot and simmer to thicken. If your sauce is very thin, you can thicken it by adding a cornstarch slurry. Use a 1:2 ratio of one part cornstarch and two parts water, so one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. (Alternatively, you can blend the carrots, onion, and garlic together with the broth to create a heartier gravy.)
- While the broth is thickening, heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high with enough high-heat cooking oil to sear the mushrooms and pearl onions. Once the mushrooms and onions are browned, season lightly with salt and pepper. Then, deglaze the pan with a shot of bourbon, stirring to fully incorporate.
- Once your sauce is thick enough for your liking, add the meat, bacon, mushrooms, and onions back into the pot. Allow this to simmer together for a few minutes before serving over your preferred starch.
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