A Classic French Beef Bourguignon Recipe with a Fragrant Makeover
This delicious Bourguignon combines the comforting flavours of slow-cooked French beef with the aromatic depth of Hong Shao Niu Rou, a favourite Chinese slow-cooked beef stew. The addition of five-spice, fresh ginger and black vinegar brings warmth, brightness and umami to the familiar base of red wine, smoky bacon, shallots and mushrooms. The result is a stew that’s rich and comforting yet pleasingly fragrant.
What is a Classic Beef Bourguignon Recipe?
Traditional beef bourguignon is a slow-cooked French beef stew with red wine, often from the Burgundy region. It’s classically flavored with beef stock, garlic, bacon lardons, carrots, shallot onions, fresh herbs, and mushrooms. Known as bœuf bourguignon or Beef Burgundy, this dish is famous for its depth of flavour and tender texture.
What to Serve with 5-Spice Beef Bourguignon
While mashed potatoes and green beans are the usual pairings for beef bourguignon, this fusion version pairs wonderfully with these recipes of flaevor.com of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Chili Oil and a refreshing Cashew Sesame Lime Coleslaw. The entire combination is warming, comforting, layered with flavour and satisfyingly original.
Tip: If Chinese black vinegar is unavailable, balsamic vinegar makes an excellent substitute, adding a similar tangy richness to the dish.
Recipe: 5 Spice Beef Bourguignon
Similar recipes on flaevor.com:
5 Spice Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 900g beef braising steak, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 large onion, chopped into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 140g bacon lardons
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tsp five-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, or 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large rosemary twig, chopped
- 500ml red wine
- 400ml beef stock
- 250g chestnut mushrooms, cut into halves
- 250g small round shallot onions, peeled
- Parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan forced
- Season the flour with salt and use to coat the beef chunks. Fry the beef in a little oil over a high heat until browned all over (but not cooked through), remove from the pan and set aside.
- In a cast iron or casserole dish, fry the bacon lardons until crisp, remove from the pan and set aside with the beef.
- Fry the onions in the bacon fat until soft, then add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and 5-spice. Be careful not to burn the spices.
- Return the beef and bacon lardons to the pot with the onions and spices, along with the red wine, beef stock, black vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and rosemary. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, fry the chestnut mushrooms and shallots in a little oil and salt until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set to one side.
- After the first 45 minutes, remove the beef from the oven, gently stir in the mushrooms and shallots and return to the oven for a further 45 minutes.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with a little parsley. Optional: Serve with Wasabi Mash Potato and Sesame-Lime Carrot Salad.
