Four Fantastic Burgundy Meat Dishes and Wines To Pair With Them

As you will probably know if you’ve read these blogs for a while, the Domaine de Cromey is the Burgundy home of BurgundyWine.com by Elden Selections. Elden is actually a portmanteau of the names of its proprietors – Dennis and Ellie. They have been living and working in Burgundy for some 35 years now. And, when it comes to food and wine these two have it covered. Dennis, among other things has become somewhat of a guru when it comes to burgundy wine, spending his time with our great hidden winemakers, tasting their wines and curating the burgundywine.com wine list along with the wine lists for our dining room and Tasting Rooms at Domaine de Cromey. Ellie comprehensively covers the food side of the equation. In her time in Burgundy she has accumulated quite a repertoire of Burgundian recipes blending many of these with her own haute cuisine from Italy along with other influences. She has become a font of knowledge and creativity about not just Burgundy cuisine and Italian cuisine but a unique and creative blend of both that manifests itself across the menus and dishes she creates for guests at Cromey. She left the USA in 1983 for Burgundy in order to learn everything she could about the cuisine. But she has also had a lifelong passion for Italian cuisine; she has Italian heritage too. Italians, well known for their demonstrative love of food, especially when enjoyed with others. For a period of time Dennis and Ellie ran food and wines tours in a variety of European gastronomique destinations and these experiences have added to her knowledge. Her passion and dedication are as strong now as they were when she started out all those years ago. On the wine side it is not surprising that they both have settled in the Burgundy wine country, considered by many the pinnacle of the wine world. Ellie's cookbook is named after this period in her life, too: At Home in Burgundy – the Papillon Recipes.  

We’ve often written about Ellie’s best recipes, and about how she uses produce from the gardens of Cromey, and only the best local produce from the producers who live and work on the land nearby. In this article we explore our favorite Burgundy meat dishes (beef and lamb specifically) from Ellie’s cookbook, often enjoyed at the Domaine de Cromey. (The cookbook features a wider variety of meat, fish, shellfish, cheese, salad, and dessert recipes, each with wine pairing suggestions to complement Burgundy flavors, so we encourage you to check it out using the link at the end of this article!) 

Our Favourite Burgundy Meat Dishes and What We Drink With Them

First on our menu of Burgundy meat dishes is Marinated Sirloin Beef Salad with Anchovy Dressing (or if you want to impress with your French, call it a Salade de Faux Filet aux Anchois!). This is a great example of how fresh, local ingredients can create complex and memorable flavors – the vinegar and anchovies give a lovely tangy element, whilst the cinnamon and nutmeg add a bit of spice. When you sear the meat over a really hot flame, the juices get sealed in and those spices are caramelized. You can serve it with a green salad with couscous, or with roasted peppers. Ellie recommends that the best wines to pair with these specific flavors are red wines from Santenay – those Pinot Noirs which pack a punch and can compete with the flavors of the spices and beef. Choose something from our list of the best Cote de Beaune wines here.  

Next is Flank Steak with Epoisses Sauce – and this is as much an homage to the cheese as it is to the meat! Epoisses cheese is produced near to Cromey, and people around here claim that there is no better cheese on earth than 'their' Epoisses. However, it doesn't travel well. Epoisses is a whole-milk soft cheese washed with a spirit called marc de Bourgogne (made from the distilled skins of grapes) as it ages to prevent the development of a skin. When ripe, it’s a real delight, but if it gets too old, it becomes ammoniated and too strong. Despite this, good quality Epoisses is now available in other countries. If you find it in your specialty market, look for a moist, brandy-colored skin that fills its box and does not have a dark orange, slimy appearance. Check for an ammonia smell and avoid if you get one. The sauce for this dish is made in the sauté pan, but if you're grilling your steak, you can melt a spoonful of the cheese on top. It's a great combination. If you're trying to get an American butcher to give you the specific piece of beef used in the dish, ask for hanger steak, also known as 'onglet' or 'la pièce du boucher.' It's the piece of beef located just below the tenderloin, and there's only one in every cow. Other cuts that work well are skirt steak and flat iron steak. If you can't find it, choose your preferred cut. 

For something a little different, why not try Wild Boar in Red Wine with a Burgundian Potato Galette? For Dennis and Ellie, this one made it into the recipe book because of something which happened one day when they had just returned from holiday. They’d only been in a few minutes when a friend turned up on their doorstep with a hind quarter of wild boar for them, and so they got creative and made something special out of it (the unpacking had to wait a while…) Ellie recommends marinating the meat for a day or two if you have the time, but in any case you’ll need a bottle of good red wine (Burgundy of course), and some potatoes, pasta or polenta to go with the meat, or even pancakes – something to soak up all that unctuous sauce. You can also use Venison if you prefer. Now to the wines; Dennis recommends looking to the cellars of local producer Michel Rebourgeon, for something like his Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru 'Les Rugiens' (though at time of writing there was just 1 left in stock!), or failing that, Pierre Thibert’s Nuits St. Georges. 

Finally, the classic Beef Bourguignon is a must-try, and any rich, complex red wine from Burgundy will complement this dish perfectly. It is the king of Burgundy meat dishes. The term "Bourguignon" originated in the mid-nineteenth century to describe dishes made with wine or with a mushroom and onion garnish. We have the renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier to thank for the popularity of this dish around the world; he first published the recipe in the early part of the twentieth century, and since then it has evolved, like many great dishes, from rustic food to haute cuisine. His 1903 recipe set the standard and used a whole piece of beef in the stew. The dish pays tribute to the prized Charolais cattle from the Burgundy region. In the town of Saulieu, Burgundy, the "Fête du Charolais" festival is celebrated, where people come together to enjoy traditional "Bœuf Bourguignon". This festival brings together musicians, meat lovers, and farmers for an unforgettable gastronomic experience. When enjoying this dish, feel free to pair it with any rich, complex red wine, preferably from Burgundy. Give it a try; it's a great dish for a large party and best enjoyed in cool weather! 

We hope these ideas of Burgundy meat dishes and how to pair them with wine have made your mouth start to well and truly water... Why not let us know if you’ve had any memorable meals using Ellie’s recipes by contacting us via email or on social media? We’d love to hear from you.  And look out for our other Burgundy gastronomy articles covering poultry recipes.

"Find out more by clicking here to read all Ellie’s main course recipes, or better still sign up here to receive her excellent cookbook. You can also visit YouTube to watch recipe videos.  

Our Burgundy Wine Club offers members the opportunity to learn more about Burgundy wines by sending four shipments per year. Members also receive invitations to exclusive virtual events in the US, 2 specially selected wine glasses, tasting notes, and the chance to win a stay at the Burgundy manor house Domaine de Cromey." Plus there’s lots more about the producers, appellations and terroir of the Burgundy Wine Region at the Domaine de Cromey blog.