What's Pressoir Cooking?

Making Boeuf Bourguignon, in Burgundy!

Boeuf Bourguignon, le grand classique

Whenever I go visit my favorite producers in Burgundy, I make a pilgrimage to restaurant “Ma Cuisine” in Beaune to taste the famous regional “Boeuf Bourguignon”, a stewed dish made with a rich Burgundy wine sauce. This year, since all the restaurants were closed, Raj and I were delighted to taste Daniel’s (yes, Johnnes) interpretation of this superb, classic dish.

Although it is a countryside, somewhat rustic dish, details do matter, starting with the choice of meat.

Meat that has lots of collagen in it starts off tough (as it tends to come from the strongest parts of an animal's body) but, as it cooks, it very slowly transforms into meltingly soft and moist gelatin. It's that gelatin that makes the meat still seem moist even after the muscle fibers have inevitably dried out from long cooking.

A boneless chuck roll, which comes from the cow's incredibly strong shoulder, is perfect for stewing.

Of course, the wine you use matters too. Even though you may think the rich sauce will benefit from a powerful wine, it is actually the acidity in the wine that provides brightness to the dish. In our case, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, a delicate fruity Burgundy made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay really did the trick.

And for an added tip, add a touch of powdered cocoa powder for extra depth in the sauce…

Bon appétit, et santé!