When it comes to mastering the French classics, you can't go wrong with Guillaume Brahimi's recipes. Here, the celebrated chef gives us a masterclass in how to make this traditional French recipe, providing his expert tips and techniques that promise a warm, hearty stew. Full of flavour and melt-in-your-mouth meat, this easy beef bourguignon recipe is one you can rely on every time.

What you need to know before you start

You'll need about 3 hours and 30 minutes for this dish for the ingredients to properly develop and become enriched. You can also prepare this recipe ahead of time up to step four, and then finish the remainder on the day you intend to serve it. 

You’ll need some kitchen string to tie the bouquet garni (herb bundle) together, and also a food processor to whiz the carrots. 

Why is this the best beef bourguignon?

Guillaume Brahimi proves you don’t need to be an experienced cook to master a French classic. In this easy recipe, the celebrated French chef includes a collection of simple yet classic techniques which make this dish so iconic. To begin, Brahimi chooses wagyu chuck steak, which has just the right amount of fat and gelatine, and allows time to properly brown the meat before it goes into the sauce. 

Instead of sprinkling individual herbs into the mix, Brahimi uses a bouquet garni to allow the fragrance of the herbs to penetrate without the grainy texture interfering with the smoothness of the sauce. 

To create that iconic velvety texture, the chef thickens the sauce with a little flour and cooked mashed carrots, which bring extra sweetness. Another classic technique is a mirepoix, which is a step that involves cooking your base vegetables of carrot, onion, celery and leek to bring out their iconic flavours. 

If you’re not used to deglazing the pan, you’ll understand why Brahimi incorporates this into the recipe. Here, he chooses the rich and tart notes of red wine to loosen the caramelised parts from the browned meat and vegetables on the base of the pan, which add depth to the sauce. And finally, adding brown mushrooms, spring onions and baby carrots at the end of the recipe ensures they are perfectly cooked, still with bite and not soggy. It’s all of these elements that make this beef bourguignon recipe stand apart from the rest. 

What is a bouquet garni?

A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs tied together. It’s used to flavour soups, stews, stocks, sauces and other dishes. A bay leaf, a few parsley stems and some thyme sprigs are a classic combination, but there are no hard rules, so check what's in your fridge or garden. Using a bouquet garni is a classic technique in French cuisine for infusing flavour without adding texture to the dish. The herbs are typically tied into a small bundle using kitchen string, so you can easily remove them before serving.

What is chuck steak?

Wagyu chuck steak is a specific type of chuck steak made from wagyu beef, which is highly prized for its exceptional marbling, tenderness and rich flavour. Wagyu beef comes from a specific breed of cattle originating from Japan, known for its intense intramuscular fat distribution, which gives the meat its characteristic buttery texture and robust flavour. But you can substitute with any chuck steak available at your local butcher. Other cuts of beef which can also work for this dish are beef shank (known as beef gravy without the bone, or osso buco when sold with the bone), cheek or neck.

What ingredients you’ll need 

Thyme: Thyme imparts a subtle yet distinctive herbaceous flavour with earthy, slightly minty and lemony notes.

Bay leaves: Bay leaves offer a delicate and warm aroma which give a subtle depth of flavour, and often complement other herbs like oregano and thyme. 

Extra virgin olive oil: A culinary staple, extra virgin olive oil creates the base of the sauce to add body and a slight herbaceous flavour. 

Garlic: When fried in olive oil, garlic emits a beautiful nutty aroma while adding a slight bite. 

Flat-leaf parsley leaves: As well as a pop of green, chopped parsley imparts freshness. The bright, peppery flavour helps to balance the richness of the olive oil and butter sauce.

Wagyu chuck steak: Wagyu beef is seen as premium due to its optimum balance of lean and thick fat which is how the meat gets its iconic marbling. Due to the marbling of the meat, the fat melts away faster which makes it the perfect meat for slow cooks or stews.

Speck: Adding speck to your stew adds a sharp burst of saltiness to cut through the richness of the sauce and beef. 

Carrot: A naturally sweet root vegetable, carrots are a common ingredient in stews and casseroles for their ability to complement full-bodied sauces.

Celery: Celery’s high water content makes this vegetable a popular ingredient in stews for its ability to tenderise quickly and absorb liquid, while adding subtle and refreshing grassy notes.

Onion: The slightly sweet and savoury fragrance of onions complements the flavours of the other vegetables and the richness of the chuck steak.

Leek: When cooked, the subtle sweetness of leek paired with its velvety texture makes this vegetable a delicious addition to stews, casseroles and soups. Its high water content allows the vegetable to tenderise and complement the other ingredients without adding a strong flavour.

Plain flour: Plain flour is commonly used as a thickening agent with savoury sauces. It bolsters the consistency of the liquid and adds to the smooth texture.

Red wine: While also used to deglaze the pan, the full-bodied and rich notes of red wine pair perfectly to the hearty flavours and texture of the beef.

Button mushrooms: Browned button mushrooms add earthiness and texture to the stew.

Spring onions: Spring onions have a crisp texture and a clean, onion-like flavour to add freshness and brightness.

Mixed heirloom carrots: Heirloom carrots provide a sharper sweet flavour than their regular species, as well as providing some interesting colour to the commonly monotone colours of the stew.

Mashed potato: The subtle creamy flavour of mashed potato makes an ideal dish to pair with rich sauces. 

How do I deglaze a pan?

To deglaze a pan is to add liquid to it after cooking meat or vegetables, to loosen and dissolve the browned bits (fond) that have stuck to the bottom of the pan during cooking. All you need to do is pour the 750ml bottle of red wine into the saucepan after cooking the vegetables and speck and continue to follow the method steps. Deglazing is a fundamental technique in cooking, particularly in French cuisine, as it helps to enhance the flavour of sauces and dishes.

How to store beef bourguignon

You can store the beef bourguignon in the fridge for three to four days, as the flavours will continue to develop and intensify with time. After this period, you can store the stew in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.

What to serve with beef bourguignon

Like most stews, the comforting and soft texture of mashed potato works perfectly as an accompanying dish to mop up the rich flavours of the beef bourguignon. You can add as much or as little as you like, adding to the generous nature of this dish.

Drink pairings for beef bourguignon

A hearty and rich beef stew such as beef bourguignon deserves an equally indulgent drink, which is why we recommend a velvety pinot noir or a full-bodied cabernet blend. French, of course. 

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