A classic French stew made with chunks of beef slow-cooked in red wine, along with bacon, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and herbs. The long cook turns everything rich, tender, and deeply savoury. It’s comfort food with a French passport—hearty, rustic, and perfect with crusty bread or mashed spuds.
Category
Dinner
Servings
4-6
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
2.30 minutes
A classic French stew made with chunks of beef slow-cooked in red wine, along with bacon, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and herbs. The long cook turns everything rich, tender, and deeply savoury. It’s comfort food with a French passport—hearty, rustic, and perfect with crusty bread or mashed spuds.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 200g streaky bacon or speck, chopped
- 1.2kg (2.65 pounds) beef chuck steak, cut into large cubes
- 2 carrots, thick sliced
- 2 sticks celery, sliced
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- sea salt and white pepper, to season
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (puree)
- 12 pearl onions, peeled
- 3 cups (750ml) red wine (Burgundy, Merlot, Pinot Noir)
- 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
- 1 beef stock cube, crushed
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 30g butter
- 400g button mushrooms, halved
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Heat oil in a heavy based pot on medium.
- Cook bacon for 5 minutes, stirring, until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
- Season beef with salt, then sear in batches in the pot until browned all over. Set aside with the bacon.
- Add the carrots, celery and diced onion to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes, until softened, scraping the base.
- Add 4 of the garlic cloves to the pot, cook for 1 minute stirring.
- Add bay leaves, thyme and tomato paste and stir through.
- Sprinkle over flour, stir well and cook for 2 minutes to brown.
- Return the bacon and beef to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and stock cube, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in pearl onions, stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling apart.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. When it starts to foam, add the remaining garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pan to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add mushrooms to the beef pot, simmer for a further 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve beef garnished with parsley and with fresh crusty bread or mashed potato.
