The quintessential beef stew, Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew with Red Wine is a very special recipe. This red wine beef stew creates a luscious red wine sauce that you simply won’t believe.
And if you love hearty luscious beef stew recipes, don’t miss one of the most popular on my site for slow cooker Beef Stew With Mushrooms.
This beef stew with red wine recipe brings a whole new meaning to the clever quote “I love cooking with wine and sometimes I even put it in the food“. One full 750ml bottle of a full-bodied red wine is the only liquid used to slow braise the beef for this stew.
This recipe appeared in Food and Wine Magazine and is actually a recipe from Jacques Pepin’s mother.
The combination of beef, pancetta, onions and red wine slow cooked in the oven, results in a thick gravy like sauce that’s earthy and rich in flavor.
Pepin’s Family Stew vs. Classic Bourguignon
The lead in description in Food and Wine Magazine reads: This is the quintessential beef stew. Jacques Pépin’s mother served it at her restaurant, Le Pélican, where she made it with tougher cuts of meat. Jacques likes the flatiron—a long, narrow cut that’s extremely lean but becomes tender and stays moist. He doesn’t use stock, demi-glace or even water in his stew, relying on robust red wine for the deep-flavored sauce.
A classic Bourguignon typically uses red wine and beef stock. Using red wine alone will focus on the wine-finished flavor, a silky texture and a strong beefy flavor.
Why Red Wine Makes The Best Beef Stew
Red wine and beef make great partners:
- The acidity of red wine will help tenderize the meat.
- The alcohol in the wine extracts and deepens flavor.
- Red wine adds a complex flavors, depth, fruity and more layers of savory goodness.
- The deep color of red wine enhances the deep red color of this beef stew and adds a beautiful glossy sheen.
Beef stew with red wine sounds irresistible and easy doesn’t it? Let’s take a look.
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef: Two pounds of beef flat-iron, chuck roast, or a round roast like like I used, pictured above.
- Red wine for French Beef Stew: 1-750 milliliter bottle red wine. Full bodied merlot will bring a rounder flavor. Cabernet sauvignon, more structured tannin notes And a Pinot Noir, a lighter and brighter flavor. I prefer a Cabernet Sauvignon. Nothing too expensive, but still on a quality level that you would drink. Do not use Red Cooking Wine!
- Carrots I like to find new small carrots. They’re small enough that they can be cooked in the stew whole, instead of slicing. If the bunch you choose has a few large carrots, just slice those.
- Mushrooms: Cremini or baby bella.
- Pancetta: I love that Jacques Pepin adds Pancetta to his Red Wine Beef Stew. It adds another rich, savory, meaty layer of flavor. Pancetta adds a salty and hint of pork flavor.
- Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Sweet Onion
- Pearl onions, or Cipollino onions
- Seasonings: Thyme, sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fresh thyme is preferred.
Substitutions
- Carrots: If you can’t find whole baby carrots, then use small carrots that are packaged and labeled as “baby carrots”. Even though they’re not really baby carrots, they are a good size that will cook well and work well in this red wine beef stew. You can also use single bulk carrots. Just remove skin with a vegetable peeler and cut into large bite sized pieces.
Step by Step Instructions
What Is Braising?
Braising is simple two step process where meat is seared until it’s well browned on both or all sides. It’s then partially submerged in liquid, routinely ½ way up the side of the meat. The meat is then slow-cooked at a moderately low temperature until the meat becomes very tender. Braising is my favorite way to cook meat during the cold months. The aroma that fills the house is intoxicating, and its classic comfort food at its best.
- Step 1: Chop the beef into 8 large chunks. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chunks of beef and brown on each side. This will take about 4 – 5 minutes per side.
- Step 2: Add the finely chopped onion and cook until tender. About 2 minutes. Add finely chopped garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 3: Add the flour and stir to coat the meat with it.
- Step 4: Transfer the meat to a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven.
- Step 5: Add the wine, bay leaves and thyme. Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Cook the stew for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and the sauce is flavorful.
- Step 6: Meanwhile in the frypan, sautee the chopped pancetta until nicely browned.
- Step 7: Combine the pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms and carrots. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ cup of water and a large pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper.
- Step 8: Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until almost all of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook over high heat, tossing, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
- Step 9: To serve, stir some of the vegetables and lardons into the stew and scatter the rest on top as a garnish once its plated. Top with a little chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Tips for Success
- Wisely cooking the vegetables separately with some pancetta, and adding them at the end, keeps the carrots sweet, the mushrooms earthy and the pearl onions crunchy. Not to mention void of purple color from the wine.
- Choose a good piece of meat. Purchase a roast that is well marbled with veins of fat. This adds flavor to the sauce. Stay away from meat that is labeled as “stew meat”. It’s usually cuts of lean meat that simply won’t become tender.
- Slow Cooking Beef Stew: Make this stew when you have extra time to follow Jacques Pepin’s instructions. It’s a little timely to prepare, but well worth every minute.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
- Make Ahead: As with any soup or stew recipe, they always taste better the next day, because the flavors meld and deepen. Even during the cooling period chemical reactions and flavors continue to interact. Simply stated, it will taste better than when it was first made. Make this stew ahead, allow to cool and store in the refrigerator covered. A gentle stove-top reheat the next day and it’s ready to serve.
- Refrigerator: Beef Stew with Red Wine will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to four days.
- Freezer: I like to store dishes like this in zip-lock style freezer bags. Just stand them up and spoon any leftovers into the bag. Squeeze the air out and lay flat in the freezer to optimize freezer space. Label with contents and date, and this stew will keep for three months.
- Reheating: Let the stew thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Gently reheat stove top to keep the integrity of the sauce thick and luscious. If you re-heat it over high heat, the wine sauce may become grainy. Add a splash of water or wine to revive the sauce if this happens.
Serving and Pairing
- Beef Stew with Red Wine is pretty much a meal in itself. But if you want to serve a side to honor it’s French roots, serve it over buttery noodles, or with mashed potatoes. French bread and even polenta.
- What to pour with it: Use the same wine Varietal that you used to cook the stew.
Common Questions
I personally think a good quality large enameled cast iron Dutch oven is just as good as using a crockpot. It serves the same purpose of slow cooking this oven beef stew. Not to mention that this is a world class stew recipe from a world class chef. Do yourself a favor and follow his instructions. But if you need oven space, yes, use your crock pot. Cook time will increase to 7 – 8 hours. You’ll still need to cook the vegetables separately stove-top and add them at serving time.
This is a recipe for red wine beef stew. And Jacques Pepin’s famous recipe and technique, let’s not fiddle with perfection. Use red wine for this traditional recipe and save the white wine for a braised chicken dish.
A drinkable $10 – $18 Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are good choices here. I’ve chosen a Washington State Cab, and you can also seek out an affordable French Red Wine. You can check out this article from Serious Eats, A Guide To Buying Inexpensive French Wines. Remember, no cooking wine.
Jacques Pepin Beef Stew With Red Wine Recipe
This is truly a special and incredible stew recipe. The end result is tender fall apart chunks of beef and a wine reduction sauce that is a thick, opulent and rich treat.
A lovely special occasion meal for entertaining, or a special evening at home. This beef stew in red wine is our New Year’s Eve tradition. Served as a 2nd course to our traditional Pear and Blue Cheese Crostini Appetizer, it’s an elegant experience.
More Hearty Stew Recipes
And if you’re soup and stew lovers like us, don’t miss my category for Soup Recipes, you’ll find lots of slurp worthy recipes, including one of the most popular on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Style Beef Chili.
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Beef Stew With Red Wine Sauce
Equipment
- 6-7 quart Dutch Oven
- 1 large Fry pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 pounds beef roast, trimmed beef flatiron steak or chuck Trimmed of any large pieces of fat. Use either flat iron or chuck roast, or round roast. Cut into 8 pieces.
- 1 Tablespoon Salt divided
- 2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 cup onion fine chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic fine chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 750 milliliter dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a large sprig of fresh thyme
- 5 ounces pancetta either a piece or a package of chopped pancetta
- 15 pearl onions or cipollini onions, peeled
- 15 cremini mushrooms
- 15 baby carrots peeled
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or a large skillet, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. One the oil is hot, Arrange the meat in a single layer, (don't crowd) and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes per side.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir to coat the meat with it. If using a skillet, transfer the meat to a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven.
- Then deglaze the skillet with about a cup of the wine. bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add that to the Dutch oven with the beef.
- Add the remaining wine, bay leaves and thyme.
- Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Cook the stew for 1 ½ hours – 2 hours, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is flavorful.
- Meanwhile in the frypan, sautee the chopped pancetta until browned.
- Combine the pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms and carrots. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ cup of water and a large pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until almost all of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook over high heat, tossing, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
- To serve, stir some of the vegetables and lardons into the stew and scatter the rest on top as a garnish. Top with a little chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Wisely cooking the vegetables separately with some pancetta, and adding them at the end, keeps the carrots sweet, the mushrooms earthy and the pearl onions crunchy. Not to mention void of purple color from the wine.
- Choose a good piece of meat. Purchase a roast that is well marbled with veins of fat. This adds flavor to the sauce. Stay away from meat that packaged as “stew meat”. It’s usually cuts of lean meat that simply won’t become tender.
- Slow Cooking Beef Stew: Make this stew when you have extra time to follow Jacques Pepin’s instructions. It’s a little timely to prepare.
- Red Wine For Beef Stew: Use a full bodied merlot, or cabernet sauvignon. Nothing too expensive, but still on a quality level that you would drink.
Nutrition
Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew With Red Wine Sauce …It’s What’s for Dinner.
