Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
French Beef Bourguignon-Style Stew
法式紅酒燴牛肉
Recipe overview
Beef chuck is slowly braised with red wine, mushrooms and carrots in a practical Hong Kong home-kitchen version of the French classic.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g beef chuck
- 2 piece carrot
- 1 piece onion
- 250 g mushroom
- 3 clove garlic
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 sprig thyme
- 1 piece bay leaf
Sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Stock base
- 300 ml red wine
- 500 ml beef stock
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- pot
- wooden spoon
- tongs
- food thermometer
- serving bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut the beef
Cut 800 g beef chuck into even 4 cm boneless chunks and trim only very thick fat.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables
Cut carrots into chunks, slice onion, quarter mushrooms and chop all 3 garlic cloves; keep separate.
Step 3
Season and flour
Coat all beef evenly with all the salt, black pepper and flour in a thin layer.
Step 4
Heat pot and oil
Heat the heavy pot and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high for exactly 2 minutes.
Step 5
Brown two beef batches
Brown the beef in exactly two batches for 5 minutes each; time 10 minutes total and change batches at 5 minutes, then remove.
Step 6
Soften vegetables
Reduce to medium and cook onion, carrots and mushrooms in the same pot for exactly 6 minutes, scraping the fond.
Step 7
Cook garlic and tomato paste
Add all garlic and tomato paste and stir continuously for exactly 1 minute.
Step 8
Add the wine
Pour in 300 ml red wine, scrape the pot and bubble for exactly 3 minutes.
Step 9
Add stock, herbs and beef
Return all beef, add stock, 3 thyme sprigs and 1 bay leaf, then cook exactly 3 minutes to a gentle simmer.
Step 10
Braise covered
Cover and braise on low for exactly 90 minutes, stirring once at 45 minutes.
Step 11
Check and reduce
When beef separates easily with a fork, simmer uncovered exactly 10 minutes to reduce; confirm at least 71°C in the centre.
Step 12
Rest and serve
Remove bay leaf and thyme stems, turn off heat and rest exactly 5 minutes, then serve beef, vegetables and gravy in a white bowl.
Common mistakes
- Starting the heat before mise en place is complete causes uneven doneness.
- Crowding the pan makes meat release water instead of browning evenly.
- Serving without checking the stated centre doneness or tasting the sauce.
Tips
Measure every ingredient by group before starting.
Adjust salt and pepper gradually only after the sauce has reduced.
