Wagyu Beef Bourguignon

This lusty, slow-simmered French stew gets even richer when you use Wagyu. Try our recipe, adapted from Julia Child’s and taste-tested (voraciously) by us. 

All the career advice out there says, “Do what you love,” right? Well, turns out our sales director works with a Wagyu brand for a reason. (From the looks of his freezer, he’s putting our employee discount to very good use.) He took our Wagyu Steak Bites and modified a beef bourguignon recipe from his favorite chef, Julia Child. The result is soft chunks of melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu swimming in a velvety, robust broth. Carrots add sweetness, mushrooms earthiness, and pearl onions a little pop of brightness. Try it tonight!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Wagyu Steak Bites, cut into 2-inch cubes and patted dry
• 2¼ tsps kosher salt, or more to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz lardons, pancetta, or bacon, diced (about 1¼ cup)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 750-mL bottle of red wine
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• 8 oz pearl onions, peeled (about 12 to 15 onions)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, halved if large (about 4 cups)
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Step 1

Season beef with 2 tsp salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Step 2

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.

Step 3

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the Wagyu cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. 

Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining Wagyu.

Step 4

Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1½ hours, turning meat halfway through.

Step 6

Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, ¼ cup water, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 7

To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley. Bon appetit!