Weeknight Beef Ragout — Simple French Red Wine Beef Stew
If you’re craving a French beef stew that’s weekend-cozy yet weekday-practical, this beef ragout brings tender shoulder meat, smoky bacon, rainbow carrots, and a red-wine beef broth that reduces into a naturally silky sauce—no flour required. It’s built for Canadian winters and U.S. fall dinners, perfect alongside buttery Parisian Potatoes or fluffy Rice Pilaf. Because we simmer low and slow, the meat relaxes, the vegetables sweeten, and starch from the potatoes helps the sauce coat every bite.
Ingrédients
For the ragout
- 1 kg 2.2 lb beef shoulder/chuck, cut in large chunks
- 80 –100 g 3–3.5 oz bacon, diced
- 350 g 12 oz red onions, roughly chopped (about 2 medium)
- 400 –500 g 14–18 oz carrots, sliced on a bias (3–4 medium)
- 15 –20 g 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 250 ml 1 cup dry red wine
- 1.2 –1.3 L 5–5½ cups brown beef stock (unsalted or low-sodium)
- 2 g 2 leaves bay leaves
- 2 –3 g 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 –6 g 1–1¼ tsp fine sea salt to start, then adjust
- 2 –3 g ½–1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional boosts
- 15 g 1 tbsp tomato paste (color + umami)
- 5 ml 1 tsp Worcestershire or soy (savory depth)
Potatoes
- 500 –600 g 1.1–1.3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, large chunks
Finish
- 5 –10 ml 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 15 g 1 tbsp cold butter to whisk in
Instructions
- Render bacon. Start bacon in a cold Dutch oven; cook on medium-low 8–10 min until crisp and fat renders. Scoop bacon out; keep the fat.
- Sear the beef well. Raise heat to high. Sear beef in 2–3 batches until deeply browned on all sides. Lightly salt during searing. Transfer to a tray.
- Sweat the veg. In the same pot, add onions and carrots. Cook on medium 6–8 min until the onions are translucent and the pan is smelling sweet, not raw. Add garlic for 1 min.
- Deglaze & build flavor. Add red wine; scrape up the fond. Reduce by about half. If using, stir in tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Liquids & aromatics. Return beef and bacon to the pot. Add stock to just cover, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Low & slow. Cover partially and simmer 45 minutes.
- Add potatoes. Stir in the potatoes and simmer another 40–55 minutes, until beef is fork-tender, carrots are soft, and the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Skim excess fat as needed.
- Finish & balance. Remove thyme/bay. Off the heat, add a tiny splash of vinegar (start with 1 tsp), whisk in cold butter, and pepper to taste. Adjust salt.
Vidéo
Notes
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the pot when searing—batches = better crust.
- Stock matters. Gelatin-rich, low-sodium stock gives body. If your stock is thin, reduce a small ladle of it separately until syrupy and add back.
- Prefer thicker? Whisk in a marble-sized knob of beurre manié and simmer 2–3 min.
- Flavor layering: a teaspoon of homemade garlic butter stirred in at the end is dreamy.
Substitutions & Variations
- Beef cut: stew meat works, but shoulder/chuck gives the ideal gelatin and tenderness.
- Wine-free: replace wine with extra stock plus 1 tsp homemade ketchup for mild acidity.
- No bacon: use 1–2 tbsp neutral oil; add a splash of Worcestershire for savoriness.
- Vegetables: add mushrooms with the onions; or swap half the carrots for parsnips.
- Potatoes: if you prefer them separate, serve the stew over Parisian Potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes—kidding! Use Classic Bread Stuffing with Bacon or Rice Pilaf instead.
- Herbs: rosemary sprig (remove at the end) works too.