Braised Beef Bourguignon

Why This Is Strictly Keto

This version of the French classic skips the traditional flour-thickened roux entirely — the sauce gets its body the old-fashioned way, by reducing red wine and beef stock alongside the natural collagen released from slow-braised chuck. Bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots are all whole, unprocessed ingredients, and the dish is finished with a swirl of butter instead of a starch slurry.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 6 oz thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups dry red wine (such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, halved
• 10 oz pearl onions, peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Render the bacon: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

2. Brown the beef: Pat the beef cubes dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown in batches in the bacon fat until deeply seared on all sides. Set the beef aside with the bacon.

3. Sauté the aromatics: Add the chopped onion and carrots to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

4. Deglaze: Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomato paste, beef broth, thyme, and bay leaf.

5. Braise: Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to a 325°F (163°C) oven (or reduce heat and simmer on the stovetop) for about 2.5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.

6. Finish with mushrooms and onions: In the last 30 minutes of braising, stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms.

7. Reduce and serve: Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. If the sauce needs thickening, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes to reduce. Swirl in the butter, taste and adjust seasoning, and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Choose a well-marbled cut like chuck roast — it becomes meltingly tender during the long braise, unlike leaner cuts.
• A full-bodied, dry red wine you’d actually drink makes a noticeably better sauce than a “cooking wine.”
• This dish tastes even better the next day — make it ahead and reheat gently for a deeper, more developed flavor.