There is a memorable scene in the 2009 movie Julie & Julia in which Alfred A. Knopf editor Judith Jones tastes the boeuf bourguignon she has prepared, following the recipe in the manuscript submitted by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. Jones sighs with delight, realizing that this book has the potential to teach Americans how to prepare truly delicious French food. Boeuf bourguignon is indeed a quintessential dish in French cuisine and one that is accessible to home cooks. Jones elected to publish the manuscript, which Knopf released in 1961 as Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Boeuf bourguignon, short for à la bourguignonne (in the style of Burgundy), consists of beef simmered in a red wine sauce and complemented by mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon. The cooking method is a classic braise: you first brown the meat, then add wine, broth, and a little tomato, and finally simmer until the beef is meltingly tender. This recipe takes advantage of budget-friendly stew beef. The long, slow cooking tenderizes it beautifully and creates a rich-tasting sauce.
Long slow braises are great, but a pressure cooker reduces the cooking time by about two-thirds. Not only does pressure cooking tenderize the beef, it also intensifies the flavors of the sauce. Multicookers, such as the Instant Pot, have become extremely popular, so I have adapted my classic boeuf bourguignon recipe to the multicooker. (You can also use a stove-top pressure cooker.) However, if you don’t have a multicooker or pressure cooker, you can cook the stew conventionally: Increase the wine and beef broth slightly to allow for evaporation, and braise the stew in a covered Dutch oven at 300°F until the beef is very tender, for 2½ to 3 hours. Cook the mushrooms and onions separately, and add them at end of the cooking.
When you shop for stewing beef, I recommend that you seek out beef chuck. It has enough fat to stay moist during braising. Leaner cuts like round can dry out. Some packages of cubed stewing beef are often cut from the round. To be sure the cut is chuck, I sometimes purchase beef labeled “pot roast from the chuck” and trim and cube it myself. If you do this, be sure to purchase extra meat to allow for trimming.
Bacon is included in a classic bourguignon, but I omit it—I find the dish rich enough with the beef, mushrooms, and pearl onions. But if you prefer, you can cook a little thick-cut bacon and add it to the stew when you add the mushrooms and pearl onions.
To brown the meat, you can use the “sauté” setting on the multicooker, but I find it more efficient to brown it separately in a heavy skillet (a cast iron skillet works beautifully) while sautéing the mirepoix (the chopped onion and carrot) in the multicooker. In addition, it’s awkward to reach into the deep cavity of the multicooker to turn the meat, which may splatter.
It takes a little time to put this dish together, but you will be rewarded with a practical and satisfying meal that keeps well and tastes even better the next day! Be sure to serve it with a good crusty baguette to soak up the delicious sauce.
I can almost hear Julia Child’s distinctive voice bidding you “Bon appetit!”
Pressure Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon
Equipment: a 6-quart or larger multicooker
To make the dish ahead of time: Refrigerate the stew for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving, adding a little broth or water, if necessary. If freezing, prepare through Step 3, cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Prepare mushrooms and pearl onions as directed in Step 4. Reheat the stew and continue with recipe.
Ingredients
1 ¾ pounds beef stew meat, preferably chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons vegetable oil, such as canola or avocado, divided
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 medium-large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
1 cup diced carrots (2 medium-large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound cremini, baby bella, or button mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size (5 cups)
2 cups frozen pearl onions
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1-2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation
1. Pat the beef dry. Sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, turning from time to time, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another 2 teaspoons of the oil to the skillet, and brown the remaining beef; transfer it to the plate. Add the wine to the skillet and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until it is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 6-quart or larger multicooker using the “sauté” setting. Add the onion and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. (Adjust the temperature of multicooker as necessary by pressing the “sauté” button for more or less heat.) Add the garlic and thyme; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, the broth, the bay leaf, the browned beef, and the reduced wine to the multicooker. Lock the lid in place. With the steam release handle in the sealing position, select “pressure cook/high/40 minutes.” When the pressure cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring from time to time, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cook the pearl onions according to package directions and drain.
5. Release the remaining pressure in the multicooker manually. Select the “sauté” setting. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and add it to the stew. Cook, stirring, until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions. Garnish with parsley.
Serves: 6, about 1 1/3 cups each.
Per serving: Calories: 300, Total fat: 11 grams, Saturated fat: 2.5 grams, Cholesterol: 65 milligrams, Sodium: 530 milligrams, Carbohydrates: 19 grams, Fiber: 3 grams, Sugars: 7 grams (added 0 grams), Protein: 26 grams.
—Patsy Jamieson