Beef Bourguignon - A Special Place in Food Cuisine History

Beef bourguignon definitely has a special place in food cuisine history. With tender chunks of slow-cooked beef, in combination with decadent ingredients, this fine dish from France will make you want to say, “Ooo la la…”

The first beef bourguignon recipe was believed to have been prepared by peasants in the countryside of France.

Throughout the Middle Ages, and into the late 17th century, peasants found a way to prepare beef that made it exquisitely tender, but it wasn’t exactly an easy preparation process.

At this period in history, beef cuts weren’t exactly very tender, so the beef had to be cooked for long periods of time in order to be edible and enjoyable.

In order to perfect their beef bourguignon recipe, peasants would use red wine to tenderize the beef to make it more flavorful and easier to cook. They would then cook the beef for a minimum of 12 hours in a large stone pot, so the beef could marinate in its own flavors and juices.

The beef bourguignon recipe perfected by these peasants consisted of slow cooking beef in a red wine, (usually red Burgundy), and cooked with beef broth, seasoned with a combination of garlic, red onions, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

Beef bourguignon became such a popular dish that even the royals took notice, and eventually the dish became a staple in haute cuisine, which literally means “high cooking.”

Haute cuisine was considered to be the most decadent variety of meals served in high-class society. Once beef bourguignon became a staple among royalty, only those held in high status were even worthy of eating the gourmet dish. Its popularity has lasted for centuries, and it is still a favorite in gourmet cooking today.

You don’t have to be a king or queen to enjoy the beef bourguignon recipe prepared by the chefs at BistroMD. Our beef bourguignon is made with some of the same traditional ingredients you know and love, but prepared with a healthy twist.

Our chefs take the most tender cuts of lean beef and slow cook them in a marinade of sumptuous beef broth, and Burgundy red wine.

After the beef has been slow-cooked to tender perfection, our chefs season the beef with a combination of traditional beef bourguignon ingredients, including small hints of garlic and button mushrooms. Our chefs then braise the tender beef with pearl onions, and pair it with a delicious side of cauliflower puree.