Boeuf bourguignon may sound a little fancy, but when it comes down to it, its really just a beef stew. A great beef stew and basically the original one, at that. It likely started as a peasants dish in the middle ages and it has persisted and evolved through the years. Its a quintessential french dish, hailing from the burgundy region of france, but its known and cooked throughout the world, in no small part thanks to julia child and her mastering the art of french cooking.