Cognac Beef Stew with Dijon Mustard

Cognac Beef Stew with Dijon Mustard is a hearty and delicious meal to warm your bones during the darker, cold winter months.

When the chill of winter is too much, spend some time making a batch of this Cognac Beef Stew with Dijon Mustard and enjoy the warmth of a dish that is filling, rich, and beyond divine! I’ve honestly never been a huge fan of regular stews with beef but I LOVE this one!

I first spied the recipe for this dish maybe a dozen years ago in the New York Times…before they created a paywall for their recipes. I used to love that section but I’m too cheap to pay for it; I already subscribe to the Times online; charging me again to see recipes is just wrong! Luckily the few I have are enough and this was a keeper for sure.

So I felt blessed when I came upon this recipe I had squirreled away and remember loving it. Rich warm and especially so with a hint of cognac combined with both Dijon and whole grain mustards, it’s really one of my favorites. The Times suggests serving it over egg noodles and I’ve never seen a reason to ignore that suggestion; it’s an entire meal in one bowl!

Is there anything that smells better than a stew on the stove that scents the air with its richness? This Cognac Beef Stew with Dijon Mustard has beef, bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms blended with a mixture of cognac, two mustards, and red wine. It is so rich and wonderful, I know I had to yell at myself repeatedly to stop testing it!

This dish was meant to be for that day when you stuck at home; snow days work so does playing hooky. Whatever it takes right? 🙂

I have not tried it myself but I think it would also work well in a Crockpot, browning the meat and onions first and then adding all but the mushrooms before a long, slow cook. Like the recipe for the stovetop version, best if the mushrooms have a quick saute on the stovetop before being added at the end; I don’t enjoy mushrooms that have been cooked too long.

But hey, maybe that’s just me…if you don’t mind, saute them with the onions and beef and then put everything together in a slow cooker. I might have to try a slow cooker (or maybe my Instant Pot) next time; I’ll come back and make note when I do!

A reader tried this recipe recently and didn’t have cognac so did a substitution with bourbon and they loved it; do the same before having to buy a bottle of something you don’t have. The method is easy enough; the hardest part is the wait while it cooks slowly…

1. Bacon is cooked until the fat is rendered and the onion and shallots are softened but not browned.
2. Butter is added to the pan and floured pieces of beef are browned on all sides.
3. Deglaze the pot with the cognac and then add the stock, mustards and meat and onion mixture and combined well; lower the heat and simmer for about 1 & 1/2 hours.
4. Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until slices are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté mushrooms until browned and tender.
5. Stir mushrooms into the stew along with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning.
6. Serve hot over egg noodles or rice; lovely either way!

This is a nice filling meal; I served a simple salad before the stew and we had a bowl of ice cream with homemade hot fudge sauce for dessert. It’s never too cold for ice cream in my book…enjoy!

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Yield: 6 Servings

Cognac Beef Stew with Dijon Mustard

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A hearty main course, this beef stew is full of bacon, onions, carrots and mushrooms flavored with a savory sauce of cognac and two mustards. Serve over a bowl of egg noodles for the perfect cold weather dish.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ pound bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, as needed
• 2 pounds beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, as needed
• ½ cup Cognac
• 2 cups beef stock
• ½ cup Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices
• ½ pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered
• ¼ cup red wine

Instructions

1. Place bacon in a Dutch oven or a large heavy kettle over low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and discard.
2. Raise heat, and add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.
3. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.
4. Add Cognac to the empty pan, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat and onion mixture to pan.
5. Lower heat, cover pan partway, and simmer gently until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until slices are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté mushrooms until browned and tender.
7. Stir mushrooms into stew along with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Notes

The New York Times recipe suggested serving over buttered noodles...so I do!

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 639Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 209mgSodium 1424mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 60g

The nutritional information is computer-generated and only an estimate.