Sous Vide Beef Bourguignon

Julia Child introduced this traditional French beef stew to the American masses in 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking', and describes this dish as “one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” The name of this recipe denotes its origins — the Burgundy region of France (Bourgogne in French), which of course, is also the home of some of the best full-bodied red wines in the world. Traditional boeuf a la Bourguignonne is braised slowly in that wine, which not only imparts wonderful flavor, but also helps to tenderize the meat, which is stew meat, so typically a tougher and less expensive cut. Beef Bourguignon takes time and some TLC — there is browning, and reducing, and sauce making involved — but each of those steps just adds another layer of deliciousness. Using the sous vide method for this dish allows the meat to really absorb the wine sauce and all those incredible aromatics. It also allows you to cook that bad boy for 16 hours+ at the perfect temp. The result is rich and developed flavor, vegetables that have retained their integrity instead of melting away to mush, and a cheap cut of meat that has been transformed into some tender beef lovin’.

Author

Stephanie Hua

Stephanie is a food writer, photographer, recipe tester & developer based in SF. She received her culinary arts training at the San Francisco Cooking School and is the creator of food blog, Lick My Spoon (a place for all things delicious). Her work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Fodor's Travel, PBS, Serious Eats, SF Weekly, and KQED, among others.

Prep Time: 01:00

Recipe Time: 16:00

Temperature : 140F / 60C

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 6 ounces bacon (4 slices), thinly sliced into lardons
• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (750-mL) bottle good dry red wine such as Burgundy, Cote du Rhone, or Pinot Noir
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 140ºF (60ºC).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Keep the skillet hot.
3. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper, tossing beef so that it is evenly coated. Working in batches without crowding the pan, sear the beef in the hot oil until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to the bag with the bacon.
4. Peel the carrots and roll-cut them into 1-inch pieces. (To roll-cut, first cut off the top of the carrot at a 45 degree angle. Rotate the carrot a quarter turn, leaving the knife at the same 45 degree angle, and cut again. Continue rolling and cutting the rest of the carrot. The finished pieces should be wedge-like and all about the same size and shape.
5. Slice the onion into half-moon slivers.
6. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the vegetables to the bag with the beef. Discard any excess fat left in the pan.
7. Add the bottle of wine to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up all of the browned and crusty good bits on the bottom of the skillet using a flat-edged wooden spoon or spatula. Add the water and beef bouillon. Let the liquid simmer and reduce by about a quarter, about 15 minutes.
8. Transfer the wine mixture, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf to the bag with the beef. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 16 hours, or up to 24 hours. Cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation.

Finishing Steps

1. About 5 minutes before the timer goes off, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Cut a small opening in the bag and pour the pour the liquid into the skillet. If there is visible fat on the surface of the liquid, skim it off with a spoon.
3. In a small bowl, mash together the flour with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to form a paste. Whisk the flour-butter paste into the sauce in the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and the meat and vegetables left in the bag and toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve with potatoes, bread, or cauliflower puree.