Beef Burgundy or Beef Bourguignon is something that I have wanted make for a long time. The first time I’ve tried it, I was so amazed on the flavor and richness of the dish. I have searched high and low and found so many recipes, but I was too intimidated to make one.
The most famous recipe is Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon, I have read through it numerous time but each time I have this intimated feeling of ‘can I make it?’ If you google it, and read through the recipe – it’s quite long and seems tedious to make. BUT when I remember how rich and tasty the dish it, I realized for sure – it’s worth all the work. But it took me a while to make it. My first attempt was so bad that I felt so sad that I needed to throw out the whole dish because it was a major fail! It took me yearsss before I attempted to make one again. All thanks to the recipe I found in AC’s legacy cook book.
A few weeks ago, I made that same recipe using the Instant Pot and it was such a hit with my kids! I honestly didn’t expect them to like it, but they both said they LOVED it! That made me so happy because there’s another dish that I can prepare for them that they would like instantly!
The other day, while I was thinking of what I’d like to cook in the IP, I remembered that I had a pack of beef cubes (that I wanted to test) in the freezer. This made me decide to make another batch – but I didn’t have all the ingredients available. But I still decided to make it and thought, this would be a definite test to the taste profile of the dish! I was nervous and excited, I secretly prayed that it will come out tasting good! So I patiently waited. My house smelled so wonderful – it got me nervous and excited, haha!
Once it was done, I did quick release (I always do!) The aroma was intoxicating, and when I opened it, it looked so dark and delicious. I quickly took a piece of the beef and immediately tasted it, it was so soft! Now, the sauce – aaaahhh, it was perfect! There was an earthy taste to it and it was marvelous! The dish was a success! I was so happy and excited. I cooked this dish, knowing that I would be serving it the next day. So we waited until it cooled and transferred it to a glass jar to keep in the ref.
So here’s my (tweaked) version of the Beef Burgundy:
1.5 kilos Beef Cubes (season with salt and pepper on them, not too much though!)
1/4 kilo slab of Bacon, sliced(or ordinary bacon)
10 cloves of Garlic, pounded
12 pearl Onions (ordinary onions will do, just quarter them)
1 pack of fresh white button Mushrooms (sliced or quartered)
3 pieces of Carrot sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1.5 teaspoon of dried Thyme (about 3 twigs of fresh Thyme)
1/2 teaspoon of Caraway Seeds
2 tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Flour
2.5 cups of Red Wine
1 piece Beef bouillon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Turn on your Instant Pot and press SAUTE for 30 minutes.
Wait for it to turn HOT then pour about a table spoon of Olive Oil
Saute the Bacon first, when it has rendered its fat, take it out and set aside
Saute the beef pieces in the pot (make sure NOT to include the liquid of the beef) for about 3 minutes
Sprinkle the flour on the beef and keep sauteing until the flour has disappeared
Put back the bacon, saute then add the beef bouillon and continue sauteing
Add the pounded garlic, onions, carrots and mushrooms and continue sauteing for about a minute
Pour in the 2.5 cups of Red Wine, add the dried/fresh Thyme and the caraway seeds
Mix thoroughly and wait until it boils
When it starts boiling, press CANCEL
Mix it again one last time, put the cover back and slide the lid to close
MAKE SURE TO TURN THE VENT TO SEALING
Now, press PRESSURE COOK and adjust the time for 35 minutes.
When it’s done, do quick release and open the lid carefully
Mix well and taste so you can adjust the flavor to your liking.
If you feel that the sauce is too watery, you can thicken it by dissolving 2 tablespoons of flour in 1/4 cup cold water (Mix well and pour slowly to thicken, make sure it is incorporated well and wait for it to boil)
I didn’t have the following ingredients in my pantry (the original recipe I used needed these below)
Bay Leaf and Tomato Paste
If you noticed, I added Caraway seeds – they made a huge difference to the taste. I’m quite lucky to be gifted it since they say it’s quite hard to find. But if you do find it, buy it because it’ll come in handy for beef stews.
Voila – that’s it!
Please do let me know how it goes when you’ve tried this recipe.
Enjoy!
Want to buy your own Instant Pot? Here’s the link in Lazada – https://s.lazada.com.ph/s.63DW5
