Recipes & Food Styling

Beouf Bourginon for the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics

For weeks, I tried to muster up the nerve to invite my crush over for dinner to watch the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. I didn’t think he’d accept, and I chickened out at the last minute. More Beouf Bourginon for me! While that spirited attitude didn’t quite heal my heart, I have to say it was one of the best meals I’d had in a long while. Well worth the several hours of simmering and painstaking chopping and seasoning. 

I got to use the 1830s French plate I’d just ordered to photograph meals featured in my new book, A Ravenous Feast: Spellbinding Recipes Inspired by The Literary Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Eating off the gorgeous 19th Century plate made me feel like I was having my meal on the Scene.  

Boeuff Bourginon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 carrot, cut into ½-inch slices

1 red onion, diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch coarse salt

1 pinch freshly ground multi-color peppercorns

3 cups burgundy red wine

2-3 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 beef bouillon cube

2 bay leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme, (divided)

1 pound white mushrooms fresh, small or brown mushrooms ,quartered

Preheat the oven to 350°F

In a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and melt the butter.

Use tongs to sear the beef all around, keeping each side on the heat for 1-2 minutes.

Remove the meat, and set it aside.

Add the carrots and onions, to the pot, and sauté until softened, 2-3 minutes. Season the beef with the flour garlic, salt, and pepper, and return it to the pot.

Add the wine, stock, tomato paste, boullion, bay leaves, and 2 of the sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring the beef to a simmer.

Cover the Dutch oven, and transfer it to the oven. Simmer until the meat is falling apart, 2 to 3 hours.

In the last hour of cooking time, add the mushrooms.

Serve with rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Garnish with remaining fresh thyme.