Beef Bourguignon

I really love my slow cooker in winter.
Case in point? Tonight's dinner! I made beef bourguignon and it was amazing! It was so tasty and the aromatic goodness could be smelled from the sidewalk outside our house!
I served it with sourdough baguette, as Tuesday night's are busy in this house!

INGREDIENTS

100g bacon, chopped

1.5kg beef, diced (I use chuck or gravy, whichever is cheapest)

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup plain flour

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (add more to taste)

2 tbspn thyme

5 carrots, sliced

500g baby potatoes, halved

200g mushrooms, sliced

METHOD:

1. In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

2. Add the red wine to the frying pan, scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken stock, tomato sauce and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

3. Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender - low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.

NOTE: if making dump bags, put all ingredients into a large bowl to cool before putting in bag. Omit potatoes, they don't freeze well (add fresh when cooking). 

Enjoy.

- L. x