30 Minute Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon! Am I the only one incapable of saying that without doing a bad Julia Child impression? It happens every time. I just can’t help it.
While I’m not entirely sure she would approve of today’s 30-minute version, I certainly do–and I’m guessing you will too. We all need fast, incredibly flavorful dinners that we can throw together quickly. Let’s get to it.
The first time I made this dish was back in culinary school. I remember it well, because we happened to make homemade spring rolls that day as well–it was very, very weird food pairing. Anyway, on that day, we made a classic, no-frills version of the dish. After all, I was surrounded by French (and/or classically French trained) chefs and that is just how things were done.
Traditionally, beef bourguignon is a stew made with a very tough cut of beef, such as chuck, which comes from the shoulder of the cow. It is flavored with red wine, beef stock, garlic, pearl onions, bacon lardon, and mushrooms, and cooked over low heat for at least an hour or two until the meat is extremely tender.
Today’s variation of the dish includes all of the traditional components, but comes together in a fraction of the time. And for that, we have beef tenderloin, the most tender cut of beef out there, to thank. Oh yes…and frozen pearl onions, which if you’ve ever peeled and cooked fresh ones, you know are a complete god-send.
To add even more flavor, a tiny piece of tenderloin is sacrificed in the cooking process and used to flavor the sauce. I was initially appalled at the idea of finely chopping tenderloin (dollar signs were flashing before my eyes!), but its a trick worth repeating and definitely provides some of that meaty, slow-cooked flavor that is so characteristic of beef bourguignon.
With that said, I do have a little bit of a confession. Some liberties were taken with this week’s Throwback post. You see….I’ve been bookmarking old magazine recipes for weeks now, but when I came upon this recipe in a more recent (read: one year old) issue, I was hooked.
Skeptical (with a little tiny bit of hope mixed in there), but definitely hooked. Granted, I did tell Connor several times, particularly after spending a small fortune on beef tenderloin at the store, that “this better be really, really good.” I think he was a bit scared.
Thankfully, my fears were dissuaded when I started cooking and was quickly enveloped in the familiar, rich, and soul-warming smell of all these flavors cooking harmoniously together on my stove top. Despite the short cook time, it has all the flavor and depth of a traditional beef bourguignon that we all know and love.
We ended up serving it with perfectly creamy mashed potatoes (made for the first time in my stand mixer–and now, will never make any other way), but feel free to substitute with fresh pasta, if that is more your thing. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
30 Minute Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions
- 1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)
- 1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)
- 1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)
Directions:
- Place pearl onions in a small microwave-proof bowl and cover lightly with a paper towel. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Set aside.
- Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking and cut into 2″ chunks–setting aside one small chunk (this step will prevent the meat from getting shocked when it hits the hot pan, as well as help maintain the skillet’s temperature). Finely chop the reserved piece of meat.
- Pat dry the remaining beef chunks with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large, wide non-reactive skillet over medium high heat. Melt the clarified butter (or oil) and swirl to coat the pan.
- Add the large beef chunks to the pan (in multiple batches if necessary to avoid over crowding the pan) and quickly brown them on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside in a stainless steel bowl.
- Once all the beef chunks have been browned, add the finely diced beef and bacon to the pan, stirring frequently. At this point, the bottom of the pan should have nice browning. Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly brown, for roughly 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, thyme, and pinch of sugar and stir together until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute or two, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat (temporarily) and pour in the wine. Put back on the heat and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Reduce the wine by half.
- Add the pearled onions and broth and bring to a boil for a minute or so. Whisk together the flour and water in a small bowl and add to the pan–stirring constantly–until the mixture begins to thicken
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the browned beef chunks and continue to cook over medium heat until the beef is medium-rare, roughly 2-3 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
Beef tenderloin will yield the best results for this fast-cooking dish.
Recipe lightly adapted from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light.
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Do you know how much I love that this uses beef tenderloin?!? Like so much! I know it is crazy money, but it is honestly the best cut out there, Normally, I do not trash it up at all, but I think I could do it for this. It looks incredible!
Haha! So glad you like this! I haven’t bought tenderloin in SO long–I did buy it at Whole Foods, which probably contributed significantly to the cost. It was pretty delicious, I have to say! 😉
The first time I made bourguignon is forever etched in my mind (also in culinary school!). This is one of my favorite fall/winter comfort foods….so warming and hearty! Seriously loving the swap for tenderloin here…can’t wait to make this! And, gorgeous photos, btw!
Let me know if you try it Kelli! I was so surprised that the flavor was so comparable to the low-and-slow traditional version. And I didn’t know you were a fellow culinary school grad!! Yay!
I’ve never made beef bourguignon, looks delicious. I love beef tenderloin!
You have to try it Shea! It’s one of my absolute favorite dishes. Thanks for visiting!
your potatoes didn’t get gummy in the stand mixer?!
No! Not at all! I was a bit worried about that too–I used russets and the paddle attachment and beat them pretty quickly at a low speed. Was so much easier! And mom still has my ricer 🙁
I always loved Julia Child’s version but boy would I love a 30 minute version even more! I can never make hers during a typical work week so this would definitely solve my cravings for delicious beef bourguignon!!
Yes! This is totally doable on a weeknight–it’s pretty amazing actually. I even made the mashed potatoes in the time it took to cook the dish from start to finish. Thanks Meghan!
Since beef bourguignon and 30 minute are hardly ever in the same sentence, I’m pinning this faster than I can write it! Gorgeous pics too!
Hahaha! So very true–it sounds like a complete oxymoron but apparently miracles do happen ;). Thanks for the pin Paula!
Just found your blog, beautiful!
This could be life changing. Now I won’t have to start my beef bourguignon right after breakfast. Ha!
I need to know more about these mashed potatoes in the stand mixer…I’ve never heard of this.
Yeahhhh….browning meat at breakfast isn’t so fun. Let me know if you end up trying it Natalie! And thanks so much for the kind words–I’m so glad you’re here 🙂
Love the idea of Throwback Thursdays! I have a million old Gourmet and Bon Appétit magazines that I just cannot bring myself to get rid of, I must start doing this. And these are seriously the prettiest beef bourguignon pictures I’ve ever seen. Julia would definitely approve.
Do it!! It’s been so much fun. I started maybe two months ago and it’s something I look forward to posting every week. I’m a bit scared of the crazy mayonnaise recipes from the 80s though, haha. Thanks so much Nicole!!
This is wonderful – I love that this typically tedious meal is able to be achieved on a weeknight! Gorgeous 🙂
Totally achievable. Thanks so much Ashley!!
Wow, this is great. I’ve always wanted to make beef bourguignon (or beouf as Julia used to say). I just couldn’t get the energy to start the daunting process. I think I can make it now.
Thanks!
Haha–I’m sure my culinary school instructors are appalled that I didn’t call this by its true name. Whoopsies! You have to try it some day (either this version or the classic long-cooking version), it’s one of my all time favorite dishes. 🙂
Wow! Dad is going to love this! No more vegetarian options! Looks delicious and the 30 minute version sounds fab for many reasons! Looks very appetizing! Hope I succeed at making your delicious ice cream this weekend.
Looks delicious, I’ll have to try it!
Beef Bourguignon in just 30 minutes!?!?! Oh, girl – if it tastes half as awesome as it looks in your gorgeous pics, then today you have surpassed even your usual culinary-genius-self! I love the brilliant trick of mincing in a tiny bit of the tenderloin to heighten flavor. Oh – and yes – three cheers for FROZEN pearl onions and the HOURS of time they save!!! I’m a huge Cooking Light fan (you’re not a bit surprised, are you!?!?) but had never tried this recipe – awesome throwback!!! Thanks, Laura! 😀
We are on the same wavelength! I just made Julia’s Beef Bourguignon (booooof boooorgenyeooone – that’s how I say it and hear it in my head, haha. Can’t help it!) this past weekend. Mine was definitely not the quick version, but I am eager to try this out!
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I am going to try it next time! This is much easier than the recipe I used last time. Thanks for sharing.
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I am not a great cook, is this as easy as it sounds? Also, does is reheat as well as traditional chuck beef bourgignone? Thanks!
I’ve always made traditional boeuf bourguignon the day before serving, to temper the raw taste of a whole bottle of red wine. I assume this wouldn’t be necessary with the smaller amount of wine. Will try!
Can’t wait to try it tonight! One question – how much tenderloin do I need to sacrifice for the fine chopping?
I just signed up for this blog and as with so many others, I was so disappointed to see a recipe call for rancid and mega trans oils. The only oil worse than canola is soy, which damages the endocrine system, particularly the thyroid. In addition, it is nearly 100% liable to be GMO. Canola, from the rapeseed plant is so toxic that no animal wild or domestic will eat it. The poison has to be removed before high heat processing, which renders it rancid and is so bad for human consumption. In my kitchen, one would only find coconut and olive oils and lard and butter from pasture raised animals.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts – as the recipe states, clarified butter is actually the recommended fat for this recipe. I don’t use canola oil anymore (and rarely ever did in the past), but there are some old recipes on this site that happen to list it – everyone is perfectly able to substitute it for other healthier fats like avocado oil, etc. if they want.
Just made this. Googled beef bourgonon fast. I wanted to make it when I got home from work at 6 and did not have a recipe for something we could eat by 7:30. Unreal. Really. I am in love.
We have an experimental bunch of people over for dinner every Tuesday. Even though I’d never made it before, I decided I was making Beef Bourguignon. I started to panick that day realizing I wasn’t going to have the time to do it the “traditional” way. What a godsend to stumble onto this recipe! It was perfect and everyone went crazy over it, cleaning out the pot with hunks of baguette. A while later, I decided I would attemp the Julia Child’s recipe, and I was so sad it wasn’t even close to how wonderful THIS recipe was. It’s now my go to recipe for something warm and comforting AND fancy and decadent. Make this!
Wow! Thank you so much Kim! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed it, and that is a huge compliment. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and thorough review. I know it’s greatly appreciated and valued, not only by me, but by other people that come to make the recipe!
I’m having 50 people for dinner and want to do a French recipe . Can I make this a day before?
Sorry for only just responding to this! You could prepare the rest of the dish, and then add the tenderloin at the last minute? Or cook the beef to be more rare and reheat it very slowly. The biggest issue is just to make sure that you’re not overcooking the tenderloin, since it is more sensitive to this than a traditional tougher meat cut.