Beef Bourguignon

By Lulubelle

The Big Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

Ingredients

• 8 slices of bacon, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 ) 3 LB boneless English or chuck roast
• 16 oz fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth or water
• 4 cups burgundy
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• Optional: 1/2 C Butter, softened
• Optional: 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preparation

Step 1

Add the bacon to a large non-stick skillet; fry the bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and reserve it for another use or use it in the tossed salads that you serve with the meal. Add the onion to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, and then transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Cover the cooker.

Trim the roast of any fat and cut it into bite-size pieces; add the beef pieces to the skillet and brown the meat over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Cover the cooker. Add half of the sliced mushrooms to the skillet; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms liquids have evaporated; transfer to the slow cooker and replace the cover.

Add the tomato paste to the skillet and saute for 3 minutes or until the tomato paste begins to turn brown. Stir in the broth or water, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits and work them into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the burgundy, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour into the slow cooker. Add the remaining mushrooms and sliced onion to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Optional: To thicken the sauce, use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat and much of the cooked onions and mushrooms to a serving platter, cover and keep warm. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the butter together with the flour to form a paste; whisk in some of the pan juices a little at a time to thin the paste. Strain out any lumps if necessary. Increase the heat of the cooker to high. When the pan liquids begin to bubble around the edges, whisk in the flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until the flour taste is cooked out of the sauce and it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Pour over the meat, mushrooms and onions on the serving platter.