Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2011

I used an entire bottle of red wine. You need to use a cabernet b/c other reds aren't "strong" enough in flavor to hold up in this recipe. So I wouldn't recommend a Pinot or a Merlot. Go for a nice California Cabernet. I marinated the beef Overnight. In addition to the parsley,thyme and bay leaf, I added fresh rosemary to the bouquet garni. I also marinated onions,celery and carrots with the beef overnight. I separated the beef and cooked that first. Browned real well. While the beef was browning I reduced the wine marinade in a separate pot. You need to reduce the wine in a separate pot so that it doesn't make the dish bitter. Added the vegetables and the reduced wine and cooked on the stove for about 40 minutes. Came out very tender and it was delicious. I left out the bacon b/c there is enough flavor in this dish that you Do Not need to add additional fat to it. Omitted the mushrooms b/c I didn't have any. Also, I used low sodium beef broth.

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Reviewer:

paslea1987

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2010

I've made this recipe a few times and each time it gets better. I omit the small onions as my husband detests them, but pretty much keep everything else the same. Also, I use a top cut sirloin and cut it up which is often more tender than stew beef from the market.

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Reviewer:

JILLT5

Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2009

I agree, it was a heavenly smell while cooking. However, my results were not as great as hoped. I bought a rump roast, marinated and cooked it as the recipe dictates, but the meat was tough. The wine/mushroom gravy was awesome. I'd try again if someone has a suggestion.

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Reviewer:

Ad-lib Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Waldorf, Maryland, USA

Reviewed: Jul. 8, 2009

Maybe I did something wrong but it came out very disappointing. The meat while flavorful was not tender. And as far as the gravy... there wasn't nearly enough. I thought Beef Bourguignon was supposed to be a stew but in the end, I had to add quite a bit more beef broth just to have a bit of gravy to serve it with.

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Reviewer:

Melissa H.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Apr. 22, 2009

Interesting. This did not turn out at all and was quite a bit of work for little to no results. For us, the meat was not to die for tender (yes, lean stew meat), the flavor had no punch (followed recipe to a T) and was very disappointing. Normally I will try a recipe a second time in case the first time was a fluke - I can't say that for this one - won't try again and will move on. Thanks for sharing though and it is nice to see that it has worked so well for so many others.

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Reviewer:

FinleyMom

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA

Living In: Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 25, 2009

this recipe is a timeless classic , I love too cook this dish, it is at the soul of french cusine as are so many dishes that share its same humble beginings ,a joy to cook , a joy too eat

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Reviewer:

DMYZ123

Cooking Level: Professional

Home Town: Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Reviewed: Dec. 24, 2008

This came out so good that I was requested to keep this as a regular in my repetoire. I seasoned my meat with kosher salt so it came out a bit salty and I used a bit more broth and wine than called for, but all in all a great dish which I may try doing in the slow cooker the next time.

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Reviewer:

Eriluo

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2008

This was very good. I made it as written except I marinated it overnight and I omitted the bacon. I served this over homemade polenta, which went perfectly with this recipe! The recipe didn't say when to add the salt and pepper, so I added it when I sauteed the beef and when I browned the mushrooms with the small onions.

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Reviewer:

Lillian

Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Whitestone, New York, USA

Living In: Long Island, New York, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2008

Excellent. I doubled this recipe, and used Merlot. Bacon is always good, but I don't think the whole 'garnish' deal was needed in this. Next time I'll just throw the mushrooms in and add more onions, and (crazily) skip the bacon altogether. Thanks for the recipe!

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Reviewer:

SunnyByrd

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

Reviewed: Aug. 16, 2008

I worked with what I had, so I didn't follow to the letter. I ended up using 1 lb. of Angus beef tips and didn't use the tiny onions. For mushrooms, I used baby Portobellos. I did use a better Cab Sauv and I did add more broth during the simmer. All in all, this was a great recipe that I will be making again. As another reviewer mentioned, the house smelled wonderful during and after the cooking.

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