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5.0 from 6 votes

Elk Bourguignon (Gourmet Elk Stew)

Elk bourguignon is a delicious variation of the classic French dish, replacing beef with tender elk meat. The elk is slow-cooked in a rich red wine sauce alongside onions, bacon, and sweet carrots. Served over mashed potatoes or with crusty bread, this is the perfect gourmet elk stew recipe.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 25 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 394 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Bacon lardons
  • 2.5 lb elk roast (preferably neck roast), cut into 2-inch chunks (or venison, moose, etc.)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • bacon grease (optional)
  • 1 cup shallots, ¼" diced
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal chunks
  • 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 750 mL red wine (1 standard bottle)
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3-4 prigs fresh thyme
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 2-3 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
  • 8 oz pearl onions, peeled
  • 1 lb cremini mushrooms, halved
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and black pepper. Place in a paper towel-lined dish and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  3. Add bacon lardons to the hot Dutch oven. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the fat has rendered and the lardons are crispy. Remove the lardons to a large bowl.
  4. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add more bacon grease to the Dutch oven if your bacon isn't very fatty. Place elk meat in a single layer in the bacon grease with space between each piece. You will have to do 2-3 small batches to cook all the meat.
  5. Cook the elk meat for 1-2 minutes per side on all sides, or until browned, about 8-10 minutes per batch of meat. Place seared meat in the bowl with the cooked lardons.
  6. Reduce to medium-low heat. Add more bacon grease if there is none left in the pot. Add shallots and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the shallots are softened.
  8. Add garlic and tomato paste. Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  9. Add flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Add wine, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Stir to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  11. Add cooked meat and lardons back to the Dutch oven. Add pearl onions. Add enough stock to cover the meat. I used 2 cups but you may need more or less. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. The sauce will reduce quite a bit so be careful to not overseason it.
  12. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the heated oven. Bake for 2.5-3.5 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  13. 20 minutes before the meat is done, prepare the mushrooms.
  14. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring, occasionally, or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and reabsorbed it.
  15. Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown.
  16. Add the mushrooms to the Dutch oven and stir to combine.
  17. Serve over mashed potatoes, if desired. Add a slice of crusty bread to dip in the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You can use any elk roast or elk stew meat for this recipe. But, neck roast is my favorite to use because it has a lot of connective tissue that breaks down and keeps the meat moist. You can use other wild game meat like venison, moose, etc., or other red meats like beef stew meat or the classic beef chuck roast.
  • Traditional bourguignon uses diced yellow onions. I like to use shallots because they have great flavor and break down into a silky smooth sauce. You can also use white onion instead.
  • Typically, bourguignon uses button mushrooms (standard white mushrooms) but I prefer the flavor of cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas). You can use whatever mushrooms you'd like!
  • Mushrooms can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. You can add the cold mushrooms back to the finished bourguignon and the sauce will heat them before serving.
  • Typically, pinot noir is used for bourguignon because it is the most popular wine in the Burgundy region of France which is where this dish gets its namesake. But, you can use another type of dry red wine like cabernet sauvignon or cooking wine. You don't need to splurge on an expensive bottle. A cheaper bottle or even boxed wine will work great for this recipe.
  • Since this is an elk recipe, I use homemade wild game stock, but you can use beef stock or beef broth instead.
  • Thyme is traditionally used in bourguignon. You can use fresh rosemary instead if you'd like. You can also take the extra step to make a bouquet garni which is an aromatic bundle of fresh herbs tied with cooking twine added to French dishes. Using a bouquet garni makes it easier to remove the herbs before serving.
  • Bourguignon is traditionally made in a Dutch oven. You can also use a large oven-proof casserole dish. Bourguignon can also be made in a slow cooker or instant pot but the sauce won't reduce the same. If you decide to go this route, you can remove the meat and vegetables when they're done cooking and reduce the sauce on the stove.
  • For added flavor, this recipe can be prepared up to step 11, then refrigerated overnight and cooked in the oven the next day.

Nutrition Information

Calories 394kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 24mg (8%) Sodium 535mg (22%) Potassium 1286mg (37%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 5443IU (109%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 64mg (6%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 394

% Daily Value*

Calories 394kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 535mg 22%
Potassium 1286mg 27%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 5443IU 109%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 64mg 6%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.