Pot Roast vs. Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf, berrrrrf, beef bourguignon aka Beef Burgundy is legendary French comfort food hailing from, you guessed it, the Burgundy region of France. Pot Roast, a classic American delicacy, is pretty much it’s equivalent minus the wine and a few other things. It only makes sense… let’s make them both from scratch to see which dish reigns supreme! 🤘🏻Adam

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Pot Roast vs. Boeuf Bourguignon

IngredientsUSMetric

Pot Roast

• 4 pound Chuck Roast
• 3 tbsp Butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3 tbsp AP Flour
• 2 tbsp Ranch Powder
• 4 cups Beef Stock
• 2 Bay Leafs
• 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
• 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (optional)
• 8-10 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch coins
• 3 stalks Celery, chopped
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Parsley, minced for garnish
• Chives, minced for garnish

Boeuf Bourguignon

• 2 cups Thick Cut Bacon Strips, cut into lardons (4-5 strips)
• 4 pounds Beef Chuck, portioned and tied into 4-5 “rolls”
• 2 cups Yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices on the bias
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3 tbsp AP Flour
• 2 tsp Sugar, divided
• 2 cups Red Wine (3/4 of a bottle, 500ml)
• 2 cups Beef Stock
• 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 12oz Pearl Onions (white or yellow)
• 12oz Mushrooms
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Kosher Salt TT
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper TT
• Chopped Chives and/or Parsley for garnish

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Pot Roast

1. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper then sear over high heat until the meat is brown and crusty all over. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the butter and onions to the pan and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste then cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the the AP flour and ranch powder stirring to coat the vegetables. Pour in the beef stock followed by the fresh thyme, bay leaf and optionally add the dark soy sauce.
3. Reduce the mixture by half, until its darker, thicker and bubbly. Add the beef back into the pot. Cover and place in a cold oven, roast on 200F for 2 hours, then increase the temperature to 300F and cook another hour.
4. Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes to the pot, cover again and cook another hour or two until the roast is fork tender. Cook time depends on the size of the chuck roast, your oven and many other variables.
5. Once the beef is tender, lay in the chopped celery, cover again and cook 15 more minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, let cool, then serve with parsley, chives and a MF good spirit. Prepare to be nourished.

Boeuf Bourguignon

1. To a large Dutch Oven, or other sturdy-ass pot of similar girth, over medium-high heat render the lardons until crispy and darkened then remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to “drain,” so they aren’t as oily. There will be a fair amount of lard remaining in the pot, leave it in.
2. Liberally season your beef chuck rolls, then crank the heat up to high and sear each side until deeply browned. Don’t skip this step. Brown food is flavorful food. We’re going for a nice crust. Remove from the pot and set aside. Drain off the fat, leaving in a tablespoon or two.
3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and carrots, season with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, until sweated and just starting to take on color. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 3 more minutes, until the tomato paste begins to form a “fond” on the bottom of the pot. Add the AP flour, 1 tsp sugar and stir until the veg is coated with the flour. Cook 1-2 more minutes. Pour in the wine and beef stock to deglaze then scrape the bottom of the pan with your cooking utensil to lift the browned bits off the bottom of the pot (harvest that MF flavor.) Add the fresh thyme, bay leaves and half of the crisped bacon then cover the pot and bake for 2 hours.
4. While the stew braises, make the glazed vegetable topper. Add the pearled onions, mushrooms, butter and remaining 1 tsp sugar to a medium saucepan. Add enough water until it comes to the “shoulders” of the vegetables, then cover with a paper lid and cook until the water is evaporated over medium-high heat. This will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Once the water has evaporated, remove the paper lid add the remaining half of the crisped bacon lardons and stir everything together. Set aside until ready to serve.
5. After two hours, check the stew and if you can easily pierce it with a fork and the meat is tender, it’s finished. If not, cover the pot and keep cooking and checking in 30 minute intervals.
6. Once finished, let the beef rest for 30 minutes. Resting allows the beef to reabsorb some of the juices lost in the braises liquid yielding a MOISTTTTer end result. Or, you know, don’t wait and just dig right in. I like to serve up in shallow bowls lined with mashed potatoes then plop a beef roll and veggies in the center and drizzle some braising liquid on top. Sprinkle with fresh chives and/or parsley and pair with a nice teeth-staining red Burgundy and you’re in bidnizzz.

Adam's Notes

• Let the braise sit covered in the fridge overnight for an extra flavorful dish. The beef will cool and reabsorb much of the flavorful juices its lost during the cooking process. The veggies and beef mingle in the sauce and slowly build flavor as they cool together.