Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

I used most of this recipe with much less mustard (family preference) and substituted bacon for the salt pork. Then I took a few tips from the NYT recipe for Auberge de la Madone's beef stew. I marinated the beef for a short time in red wine with fresh thyme, Rosemary, bay leaf, whole cloves and peppercorns. When the stew began to simmer I added the zest and juice of a small orange. All the flavors popped in the finished product. Excellent.

I've made this a couple of times, and it's great. HOWEVER, IMHO there is no need to spend $25 on a crock of Pommery mustard. It's very good mustard, of course, but really no better than most domestic whole-grain mustards that cost a buck or two in any supermarket. While some may prefer it in a blind tasting of mustards, any discernible difference is lost entirely in the stew.

Not your mother's beef stew! The sauce is exceptionally savory, thanks to all that mustard. I cooked this in my All-Clad braiser, with the lid fully closed and in a low oven. The sauce was plenty thick as it was, and I think it would have cooked off entirely had the pot been only partly covered, as called for in the recipe. Also, the carrots, cut somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 inch, took nearly an hour. This went very well with a Haut Medoc Chateau Aney 2011.

If you don't eat pork, and want fabulous flavour, try rendered duck fat, or if that's not doable (hey, I don't usually have duck fat around either) stick with some extra butter and a bit of olive oil.

This gets lots of yums. I served it for New Year's dinner to friends, and there was little in the way of leftovers. I never would have tried this if not for the other cooks' comments; I would have been scared off by so much mustard. It was the perfect company dinner--prepared the day before and terrific. I followed previous commenters' advice and cooked the carrots for a full hour. Perfect. And thanks to all who posted on this.

I made this with very minor variations-- bacon instead of salt pork, Armagnac instead of Cognac, double the mushrooms. Glad I'd read other comments - I did put the carrots in for a full hour of cooking and cooked with lid fully covering the pot.
This was one of the best beef stews I've ever had. And is now my new favorite.

I made this dish once before, in mid-September, 2001. I tripled the recipe and delivered it to a Red Hook (Brooklyn) firehouse, where the guys would return for some sleep and sustenance during their months-long marathon at the pile. Time to make it again and this time serve it to the family.

Delicious. I halved the recipe and needed to add extra broth to keep it moist. Used bacon grease to cook onion, shallots and meat. Also substituted a whole grain Maille Dijon mustard for the Pommery. Served over butter noodles (Neely's recipe from the Food Network). Be sure to slice carrots fairly thin as they don't have much braising liquid in which to cook. A definite repeat!

Since cognac is distilled and does not spoil after opened, I think Grandma was using that as an excuse to tipple the rest of the cognac :) Go Grandma!

This tastes like straight up corned beef. Its ok. I'd make it again but without the 1/2 cup of mustard, maybe reduce to 1/4 at the most. I like the braising for the beef. The last pro point i'd give this recipe is that after you use the 1/2 cup of cognac it's up to you to do whatever you want with the rest. I just drank mine because my grandma told me it spoils 3 hours after you crack the seal and she taught me to never waste and she was a part of the Greatest Generation

Sophisticated beef stew that will please many. Made exactly as instructed and found it to be savory with great depth of flavor. Carrots, however, needed more time as noted by others. After 30 minutes, they were still quite crunchy. For more tender carrots, add them 1 hour into simmer. Can't imagine kids liking this but who knows - maybe yours will! Will make again and will feel free to add other goodies such as pototoes as this is a great, flexible base.

Cover completely or it will dry out!

It's the whole-grain mustard in the recognizable white crock with a red seal from Meaux, about 25 miles outside Paris. It can be hard to find in some locations, as well as fairly expensive. I think any good whole-grain mustard would work here, especially if it's French.

Made extra to feed 6-7 people. 2.5 pounds beef, extra carrots, added two large yukon gold potatoes. Pancetta to start. Extra broth, so there was plenty of liquid for carrots and potatoes to cook in. I added extra Dijon too, and it seemed too much. But made this a day ahead, and today the flavor is more complex, more meaty, the mustard less pronounced. I'm adding the red wine and mushrooms now, and also added a bit more beef stock, to mellow the mustard further. This is a keeper.

I give 5’s too easily but this one really deserved it.

Have made this many times, 1st as written and many riffs since. 1) the Pommery mustard is worth it (Amazon). Other whole grain mustards tend to be sharper tasting so add slowly if you’re not using Pommery. 2) Can never find salt pork so use pancetta and don’t remove it. 3) Pommery is salty so no addl salt. 4) Armagnac instead of Cognac. 5) Add other root veggies with the carrots - rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, etc - and baby spinach at the end for more veggies. Serve with rice. Never disappoints!

I left out the salt pork. Salt to taste. All delicious! I added frozen peas also! Great!

How do you get the stew to the nice dark color in the photo? Mine is kind of gruel colored...

This is delicious! My stew game is forever improved. I followed the slow cooker recipe. The only change was I added peas an hour before it was finished. Thank you Regina!!

Put carrots in for an hour. Add potatoes or serve over noodles. Try in oven with top on but stovetop worked, just time consuming.

I was very suspicious of the amount of mustard this recipe called for. But I took the plunge and I have to say, it didn't come out tasting just like mustard! It was very balanced in flavors! I cooked this in a slow cooker as the recipe instructed. I put it on "high" for about 3 hours then on "low" for another hour. Came out perfect. The meat was very juicy but textured. I served it with mashed potatoes and baguette. I also added some parsley on top for serving.

I used a lot of mustard. Maybe too much?

Made 4x and each time the carrots did not get soft even going well beyond the 30min before adding the mushrooms & red wine. BOIL CUT CARROTS BEFORE ADDING TO POT

I first discovered the Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew recipe in Bon Appetit 2/81 issue and have been making it ever since. Same ingredients, but made with 4 lbs of chuck. That recipe has more wine, more mushrooms, more everything, and if you’re putting in the effort to make this at least ensure that you’ll have some scrumptious leftovers for another meal. I cringe when I see only 2 lbs of beef, or halving the recipe. The beauty of stew is how it improves overnight in the fridge.

Did this in a pressure cooker, and used half the liquid as instructed for the slow cooker. I’ll cut back more next time, it’s a little too soupy. Cooked everything at high pressure for 40 minutes. I’ll use bigger carrot chunks next time, and maybe sauté the mushrooms separately but I was in a rush and this was fine.

I did about 2.5 lbs beef and 1 lb mushrooms and it lasted 3 nights with bread and noodles and broccolini.

I used less mustard (grainy type not Dijon). My carrots took a longer time to cook. I served it over mashed potatoes and it was super hearty and welcomed on a cold winter night in January. Makes a lot for my little family though. I am thinking of freezing some of the leftovers for a future winter night. Will try. A stellar recipe even though I had to use some sub-par red wine as that was all I had open tonight. 5 stars for me!

If make again will reduce the mustard and put carrots in sooner

We have made this multiple times since I found the recipe about 4 months ago. Once I made it for a neighborhood soup party and everyone voted it #1. My husband says “outstanding” and that is unusually passionate about any dish. I understand why it’s suggested to take your time. Recipe doesn’t say where to use wine. I figured it was meant with the mushrooms, so I add it there.