Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon (Pressure cooker method)

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon Pressure cooker method Blog

🍽 Serves:
4~6

🕑 Cooking Time:
1hr 15mins

⌛ Prep Time:
1hr

The Ingredients List

  • 1 to 1.5 kg Beef Brisket (cut into ~ 5cm chunks and pat dry)
  • 200 grams Short cut Bacon (roughly chopped)
  • 2 large Carrots (chopped in chunks)
  • 1 large White Onion (diced)
  • ~ 15 Gold pearl Onions (skin peeled off, leave as a whole)
  • 6 Garlic cloves (minced) – 4 for stew & 2 for mushrooms
  • 500 grams Mushrooms (quartered)
  • 4 tablespoon fresh Parsley (chopped) – 2 for stew & 2 for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Thyme (chopped)
  • 3 fresh Bay leaves
  • 3.5 cups Beef Stock
  • 1 Beef Bouillon Cube (crushed)
  • 2 cups Red wine
  • 2 tablespoons Plain Flour
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • ~ 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground Pepper – ¼ for stew & ¼ for mushrooms

Mashed potatoes

  • 6 big Potatoes (chopped into chunks)
  • 2⁄3 cup Full cream Milk
  • Sea salt to taste

The Method

  1. Heat oil on pressure cooker pot OR on a separate large saucepan. Sauté the bacon over medium heat until crisp and brown. Set aside leaving the bacon fat juices .
  2. Sear beef chunks in the bacon fat until all sides are browned. Make sure not to cook all together, and instead sear in batches to keep all pieces uniformly cooked and browned. Set aside with bacon.
  3. In remaining oil and bacon fat, sauté carrots, diced onions and minced garlic for about 3 minutes. Add beef chunks and bacon back into pan. Season with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle flour, toss well and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add in parsley, thyme and pearl onions in the last 30 seconds and toss around. If using a separate saucepan, turn heat off and transfer to pressure cooker pot.
  4. Pour in beef stock and red wine. Then add in tomato paste, crushed bullion powder and bay leaves. Make sure final amount of content does not exceed the limit of your pressure cooker. Ours is approximately 2⁄3 of the pot. Cover lid and set timer to cook for approximately 1 hour.
  1. Nearing last 10 minutes before pressure cooker is done, begin preparing mushrooms and mashed potatoes. For mushrooms, heat butter on saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, and then add the mushrooms. Season with remaining pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until they are browned. Toss occasionally to coat with butter. For potatoes, boil on high heat for 10-15 minutes until very soft, drain and mash. Add milk and season very lightly with salt. Set aside both mushrooms and mashed potatoes once done.
  2. Once pressure cooker is done, give it at least 10 minute before releasing and removing the lid. Place a colander over a large pot and pour content into it to collect the sauce in the pot. Discard the bay leaves. Return the beef mixture back into the pressure cooker pot or a new large pot or bowl and add the mushrooms in. Lightly toss and mix.
  3. Reduce sauce over medium heat until the right consistency. It should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour sauce over beef mixture. Serve with mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley.