Stews are a wide variety of dishes consisting of ingredients such as meats, seafood and vegetables that are cooked slowly in a cooking liquid over low heat.

The vegetables or meats that are stewed are also served together with its cooking liquid.

The cooking liquid used for preparing stew could be water, broth, stock, or wine, different spices and herbs may also be added to enhance the flavor of the dish.

When the main ingredients used in a stew are cuts of beef, then it is known a beef stew. There is a wide variety of stews that could be categorize as beef stews including beef bourguignon, a classic French stew where beef is braised in wine.

In this post we discuss beef bourguignon and other beef stew.

What is a beef stew?

Tough cuts of meats are used to make beef stew. The tough cuts of meat become tender after stewing

The beef is usually cut into small pieces, and is often browned before stewing

They are often stewed together with other ingredients such as vegetables, or other types of meat. Herbs and spices may also be added to enhance the flavor of the dish.

The vegetables used are those that are suitable for slow cooking such as carrot, potatoes, and celery.

There are various beef stew recipes, made from different cuts of beef and using a mixture of different vegetables or spices that give the beef stew a unique flavor.

The ingredients for the beef stew are immersed in the cooking liquid and slow cooked until the stew is thick and the beef tender.

The beef could be stewed in stock, broth, or even wine as in beef bourguignon.

Beef bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is a classic French beef stew where beef is braised in red wine

It is also known as beef burgundy; Burgundy is a place in France where the dish originates from

This dish is a special kind of beef stew, and it is a favorite among so many people

The dish is made from beef, bacon, garlic, carrots, pearl onions and mushroom which are stewed in a mixture of red wine and beef stock.

The wine commonly used for this special dish is pinot noir.

A mixture of different seasonings could also be used to give a rich flavor to the dish.

The cuts of beef, bacon and vegetables are first browned in a pan before they are allowed to simmer in a mixture of red wine and a beef stock.

The beef is cooked in red wine and the broth until it becomes tender.

Beef bourguignon could be eaten alone as a main dish but it is often eaten together with pasta, potatoes or noodles.

Some other types of  beef stews

Apart from beef bourguignon, there are a lot of dishes where beef are stewed together with other ingredients.

Here are a few examples of popular stews that are beef stews.

1. Pot-au-feu

Pot au feu is a very popular French beef stew

It is a stewed dish that is made from cuts of beef and vegetables like carrots, cabbage, leeks and potatoes

This dish is also seasoned with different herbs and spices.

One notable feature about this stewed dish is how it is served.

Unlike other stews, pot-au-feu is served in two courses. The broth is sieved out and served first, and then the meats and vegetables are served separately from the broth in a platter.

The meats are served and eaten together with Dijon mustard and other condiments.

2. Daube

A classic beef stew that originates from the region of Provence in France.

It is a beef stew where beef, vegetables and garlic are braised in wine and seasoned with a mixture of different herbs.

The stew is also traditionally cooked in a pot known as a daubiere.

Daube is quite similar to beef bourguignon as it is also made with wine

There are many variations of this dish seasoned with different mix of herbs and spices

Red or white wine could be used for making daube.

The vegetables that commonly accompany this dish are carrots, cloves and onions.

Daube is also seasoned with orange zests.

3. Beef ragout

A ragout is a French stew with so many variations from one region to another.

Ragout could be made with different ingredients as well. It could be made with different types of meats such as beef or even fish, there are also ragout recipes that are made using only vegetables and mushrooms.

Beef ragout is made with beef along with some vegetables which are slow cooked.

Water or wine could be used as a cooking liquid for beef ragout.

The stew is thick and also very well seasoned.

Beef ragout can be eaten on its own or along with other dishes.

In conclusion

There are a lot of beef stews made by slow cooking tough cuts of beef in a cooking liquid that it is also served with.

Beef bourguinon is a delicious beef stew which is made by cooking beef and some vegetables in a red wine

There are also other beef stew recipes make use of different vegetables, flavorings, cooking liquids, and each is unique in its own way.