Fondue Bourguignonne

/5

PRESENTATION

Fondue bourguignonne, straight out of the French playbook, is one of those meals where everyone gets in on the action. It's not your typical cheese or chocolate deal. You're talking hot oil here—so, basically, it is like beef fondue right at the table. And listen, traditionally, people use a copper pot with a narrow opening to keep those pesky oil splatters under control. The whole setup? It sits on a tripod with a spirit burner underneath. Keeps the heat steady and all that, so your cubes of beef turn tender and juicy as they fry up. Each person gets a long, color-coded fork with a wooden handle—really handy—which keeps hands away from the hot oil, for sure. What makes fondue bourguignonne different from things like Boeuf bourguignon? It's the hands-on part. Everyone cooks their own meat, and you can fry it just how you like it—from barely cooked to super crispy on the outside.

People usually bring out all kinds of fondue dipping sauces with this dish. And you know what? You’ll find everything from tangy mustard blends to creamy aiolis, set out in individual plates with lots of little compartments or just in small glass bowls. The sauces? Almost as fun as the meat. You can mix and match to find your favorites. Really, really fun. Even though the main event is the oil fondue and beef, some folks add mushrooms or bite-sized pieces of bread for some variety. Compared to other meat fondue traditions, fondue bourguignonne really focuses on beef, but swapping in other meats or even trying a seafood version? Totally an option.

Gathering around the pot makes it easy to chat, laugh, and eat as you go, and it’s a great excuse to try out a bunch of different moist, golden bites. Here's the thing, with its old-school setup and all the little traditions, fondue bourguignonne keeps things classic and interactive—plus, there’s loads of room to experiment with your own twists. It's a perfect way to bring people together for a delicious and memorable meal. Seriously good.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for Fondue Bourguignonne
Beef sirloin 1.3 lbs (600 g)
Mayonnaise to taste
Cocktail sauce to taste
Salsa verde to taste
Red sauce (salsa rubra) to taste
for frying
Vegetable oil 2 ⅛ cups (500 ml)
Preparation

How to prepare Fondue Bourguignonne

Remove the nerves and membranes from the meat, then cut it into cubes with a side length of 1-1.25 inches and arrange it, dividing the cubes equally, onto 4 individual plates.

Meanwhile, place the sauces of your choice in the appropriate plates or small cups (each diner should have their own) and pour the seed oil into the fondue pot, which you will place on the tripod set on the lit burner.

Place the burner in the center of the table so that diners can, using the special forks, skewer the meat cubes and immerse them in turn in the boiling oil.

As soon as the meat is cooked (the degree of doneness will be chosen by the diner according to their taste), it can be dipped in the various sauces and enjoyed immediately.
You can choose to prepare or buy the sauces you like best: we suggest 4 that you can make with your own hands following our recipes, but tradition dictates that mustard, béarnaise sauce, and flavored butter are never missing.

You can also accompany Fondue Bourguignonne with pickled onions and gherkins, and plenty of bread.

Advice

The beef used for Fondue Bourguignonne should be cut into cubes of 1-1.25 inches on each side because if it were smaller, it would dry out and harden, while if it were cut larger, it would take too long to cook.
Avoid salting the meat before cooking it, as it would lose its juices.
To prevent the oil in the Fondue Bourguignonne from burning and blackening quickly, there is a little trick that will help maintain its characteristics longer: peel a small potato and immerse it in the oil before starting to fry the meat. Leave it immersed until the end of the meal.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.