French Burgundy Beef Chili with Lardons
A rustic French take on beef chili, built on the foundation of beef Burgundy. Tender beef chuck stewed in full-bodied Burgundy wine, enriched with smoky lardons (French bacon), pearl onions, and mushrooms. This Dutch oven braise develops deep, savory flavor over gentle heat, creating a warming dish that's equally at home on a winter table or at a casual dinner party.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Wait
- 2 hr 10 min
- Total
- 5 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (about 2 cups per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Cut beef into roughly 1.5-inch (4 cm) cubes and pat dry with paper towels (dryness ensures better browning).
- Bring Burgundy wine to a simmer in a separate pot and hold warm to preserve the braise temperature.
- Have all ingredients prepped and near the Dutch oven before you begin browning the meat.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
Render the lardons
- In the Dutch oven over medium heat, add the lardons and cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are crispy and the fat is rendered.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- You should have about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of bacon fat in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
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Ready when: Lardons are golden and crispy; fat pools in the bottom of the pot.
Tip: Don't crowd the Dutch oven when rendering bacon; let it cook undisturbed for the first minute, then stir.
Brown the beef in batches
- Working in 2 or 3 batches to avoid crowding, add the beef cubes to the hot bacon fat (increase heat to medium-high).
- Brown each batch for about 3–4 minutes per side without stirring constantly; let the meat sit long enough to develop a crust.
- Transfer browned beef to a clean plate.
- The pot should be quite hot and the oil shimmering before you add each new batch.
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Ready when: Beef is deep brown on all sides (interior will cook in the braise).
Tip: Resist the urge to flip constantly; let each side rest on the hot surface for 3–4 minutes to develop a flavorful crust.
Build the base: soffritto and tomato
- Lower the heat to medium and add the carrots, celery, and pearl onions to the pot.
- Stir and cook for about 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, stirring well, and cook for 1 minute more to deepen the flavors.
- The tomato paste should caramelize slightly against the pot.
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Ready when: Vegetables are softened slightly; tomato paste darkens and clings to the pot.
Tip: Cooking the tomato paste in the hot fat concentrates its sweet, savory depth—don't skip this step.
Deglaze with wine and stock
- Pour the warm Burgundy wine into the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom (the fond).
- Then add the beef stock.
- The liquid should almost cover the beef.
- Stir to combine, then return the browned beef and rendered lardons to the pot, along with any accumulated juices.
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Ready when: Liquid is homogeneous; beef and lardons are submerged or nearly submerged.
Tip: Warm wine prevents the braise temperature from dropping too much when added to the hot pot.
Add herbs and season
- Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot.
- Give everything a stir, then taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Start with ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt and adjust after the braise develops (the stock will concentrate).
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Ready when: Herbs are distributed; braise smells of wine and thyme.
Tip: Hold back on salt now; you'll adjust at the end once flavors concentrate.
Bring to a simmer and coverOven 325°F / 165°C
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- You should see small, steady bubbles breaking the surface.
- Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and transfer to the preheated 325°F (165°C) oven.
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Ready when: Liquid is simmering gently; steam rises from the liquid.
Tip: A low, gentle temperature (325°F / 165°C) keeps the beef tender and prevents the braise from becoming tough.
Braise in the oven for 1.5 hoursOven 325°F / 165°C
- Braise, covered, at 325°F (165°C) for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, check the pot and stir.
- The beef should be getting tender but not yet fall-apart soft.
- Check that liquid still surrounds the meat; add a splash of stock if needed.
- The kitchen will smell deeply savory and wine-forward.
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Ready when: Beef cubes are tender when pierced with a fork and offer light resistance.
Tip: Stir halfway through to ensure even cooking and that the bottom layer doesn't catch.
Add mushrooms and cook until tenderOven 325°F / 165°C
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms and butter to the braise, stirring well.
- Return the covered Dutch oven to the 325°F (165°C) oven for another 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have absorbed the braising liquid.
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Ready when: Mushrooms are soft and have released their moisture into the sauce; no firm edges remain.
Tip: Adding mushrooms late in cooking preserves their texture and prevents them from breaking down into the braise.
Final seasoning and rest
- Remove the braise from the oven.
- Let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns (a slotted spoon helps retrieve them).
- Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
- The sauce should be rich, savory, and slightly sweet from the wine and vegetables.
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Ready when: Solids herbs and peppercorns are removed; sauce is glossy and deep burgundy in color.
Tip: The sauce should coat a spoon. If too thin, simmer on the stovetop uncovered for a few minutes to reduce.
Serve and garnish
- Ladle the chili into wide bowls, ensuring each serving gets beef, vegetables, lardons, and mushrooms.
- Spoon the sauce generously over the top.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.
- Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles if desired.
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Ready when: Braise is plated and garnished.
Tip: Parsley brightens the rich, wine-heavy flavors and adds a fresh visual contrast.
Good to know
Tips
- This is a French beef braise in the tradition of beef Burgundy (boeuf à la Bourgogne), adapted with the name of a chili for American palates. It's not a spicy chili, but a refined, wine-based stew.
- The braise develops the deepest flavors if you do not skip the step of deglazing and scraping the fond from the pot. Those browned bits contain caramelized beef and aromatics that dissolve into the sauce.
- If the braising liquid seems thin after cooking, remove the lid and simmer the braise on the stovetop over medium heat for 5–10 minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, as the flavors meld and the sauce clings to the meat more richly. Plan to make it ahead if you can.
Make ahead
You can prepare this braise through Step 8 (before the mushrooms are added) up to 1 day ahead. Cool it completely, refrigerate it in the Dutch oven or in an airtight container, then gently reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until simmering, about 15–20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and butter, then continue with Step 9. The flavors actually deepen after a day of rest.
Storage & reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the braise in a Dutch oven or saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, covered, for about 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Do not freeze, as the tender beef texture may become grainy upon thawing (though it is still edible).
Substitutions
- full-bodied Burgundy wine (or Pinot Noir) → Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône, or any other full-bodied, dry red wine. Burgundy wine is traditional, but any dry red with good acidity and moderate tannins works well. Avoid oaky wines (like some Cabernets) that can overpower the delicate balance.
- lardons or thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces → thick-cut bacon or pancetta, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces. If you can't find lardons (French cured pork belly), American bacon or Italian pancetta are excellent substitutes and render in the same way.
- beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) cubes, patted dry → beef short ribs, beef stew meat, or beef brisket, cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) cubes. Chuck is traditional for braising, but short ribs add extra richness. Brisket works but is leaner; add an extra tablespoon (15 g) of butter or oil for richness.
- cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large → cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms. Cremini and button mushrooms are classic, but earthier varieties like shiitake or oyster add deeper umami. Use a mix if desired; halve or quarter larger pieces so they cook evenly.
