Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

One of my favourite recipes to prepare. Tender chunks of beef braised in red wine with mushrooms and pearl onions: it’s a classic and a labour of love. My version is a bit of a shortcut from the original recipe I learned in cooking school as not everyone wants to spend that much time in the kitchen! I like to serve this with garlic mashed potatoes or soft polenta. To keep things low carb, if that’s your thing, serve it over cauliflower rice or mash. Comfort food at it’s best!

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Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Tender chunks of beef braised in a rich red wine gravy. A family favourite and perfect for your next dinner party!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time5 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6

EQUIPMENT

• 6 quart slow cooker

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp canola oil or other oil with a high smoke point
• 3 lbs or 1.5kg beef chuck stew cut into 2 inch pieces
• 5 slices bacon chopped
• 1 large white onion chopped
• 3 carrots peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups red wine a French burgundy if possible
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 cups pearl onions
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups mushrooms quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Season beef with salt. Place oil in a sauce pan over high heat. Working in small batches, brown the beef on 2 sides. As meat is browned, set it aside. Once all meat is browned, turn down heat add a splash of wine to the pan and deglaze making sure to scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon. Pour the pan drippings into your slow cooker and add the browned beef.
• Return the saucepan to medium heat, add the bacon and sauté for several minutes until cooked through, then add the onions, carrots and garlic and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour and spoon the tomato paste over the onion mixture and stir to combine. Using a rubber spatula, add this mix to the slow cooker.
• Next add to the slow cooker the wine, beef stock, bay leaves, thyme and some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and set slow cooker on high heat for 5 hours.
• At the 4 hour point, sauté the mushrooms in butter until cooked. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions to the slow cooker, stir and continue cooking for another hour or until meat is very tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired and garnish with chopped parsley.