1-19-2025 4:48am

Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Boeuf Bourguignon

Lesley Misko Editor

by Francine Black

Boeuf Bourguignon is named after the Bourgogne region of France, or as we call it in English, Burgundy.

We know the region for its fine wine, of course, but it’s also famous for the Charolais Cattle that produce excellent beef. Voila, we have the perfect elements to create a luxurious beef stew (some would cry heresy at it being called a mere stew), rich with beef cubes, mushrooms, carrots, onions, herbs and of course, the essential pour of burgundy wine, to be served along side a heap of buttery mashed potatoes.

I’ve enjoyed beef “stewish” dishes from other cultures too: Hungarian Goulash, German Goulash, Pottage (England), Cazuela de vaca, we might even include Vietnamese Pho and of course good old all-American Beef Stew.

Stews, as a food, have been made since ancient times. I have read that ancient tribes in the Amazon used turtle shells to boil their concoctions, but perhaps the earliest evidence of stew dates back to 14,000 BC in Japan. I would imagine, as Japan is an island, that they would have had some amazing fish stews!

Back to our dish today. I enjoyed fusing a few exotic aromatics to the classic Boeuf Bourguignon today with a nod to Vietnamese Pho. A very gentle addition of Anise and Cardamon gives it just a little Asian twist that I find very pleasing and warm.

Have a great day, dear friends!

Click here to give Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon recipe a try.

Traditions are part of our family’s story and they’re especially sweet at holiday times.High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.