Name: Beef Bourguignon- A Slow Cooker Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 285 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds good quality stew beef (like chuck) (cut into 1 inch cubes); 2-3 pieces of bacon (we are using the fat from the bacon ); 3 tbsp olive oil; 4 large carrots (peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces); 1 small bag of small red or gold potatoes (about 10 small potatoes); 1 cup beef stock (good quality); 2 1/2 cups of good Pinot Noir; 1 bay leaf; 2 tbsp tomato paste (I like to buy the tubes of tomato paste so I can refrigerate what is not used); 3 cloves of garlic minced; 1/2 large Spanish onion sliced thin; salt and pepper to taste; 2 tbsp corn starch; 2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley (Optional); 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Beef bourguignon is a delicious French beef stew loaded with lots of red wine and amazing flavors. The key to a delicious bourguignon is making sure you are using the best quality ingredients (good quality stew meat, good wine, etc.). In addition to the ingredients, there are a couple of steps that you do not want to skip when making this dish.

First, searing your meat before it goes into the slow cooker is extremely important. This is going to give your meat that beautiful golden crust and also give your pan that brown bottom which is essential for deglazing and making a rich broth.

Second, although we are making this in a slow cooker, it is important to also start most of your ingredients in a saute pan. The slow cooker is just for the slow cooking portion of making this dish. We will be working in steps, cooking in one pan and then transferring to the slow cooker pan as we go until the everything is assembled!

Last, making sure the size of your vegetables is uniform and the right size the recipe calls for is important to prevent it from getting mushy. Some of your vegetables will go in at the beginning of the slow cooker process and others will go in towards the end. You will have spent money on nice ingredients and also spent time on assembling this amazing dish so we want to avoid mushy vegetables in the final product which will not be so pleasant.

This is a very easy dish to put together and requires no special skills. It just requires following steps and a little time at the beginning and at the end of the cooking process. It makes a wonderful Sunday supper or dish for entertaining.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Beef Bourguignon- A Slow Cooker Recipe

A delicious French classic beef stew cooked in a rich wine sauce

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time4 hrs 30 mins

Total Time4 hrs 45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Servings: people

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 pounds good quality stew beef (like chuck) cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 pieces of bacon we are using the fat from the bacon
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large carrots peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces
1 small bag of small red or gold potatoes (about 10 small potatoes) cut into halves and making sure they are all uniform in size. Some potatoes may not need to be cut in half if they are very small.
1 cup beef stock good quality
2 1/2 cups of good Pinot Noir
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp tomato paste I like to buy the tubes of tomato paste so I can refrigerate what is not used
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 large Spanish onion sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley Optional
8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced

Instructions

Clean and cut your carrots, onion and garlic.
Get out your slow cooker and have it ready and set up
Pre-heat a large saute pan on medium high heat
Add your bacon and cook until crisp.
When done, remove the bacon and save for another time but leave the bacon fat in the pan.
Add your cubed stew meat and sear on all sides (about 5 -6 minutes, turning the meat to brown all the sides). If your meat sweats a lot of liquid out, drain that out by scooping it up with a large spoon so your meat is not boiling in the pan.)
Once the meat is seared, pour the meat into your slow cooker.
Add 1/2 cup of your wine to pan and deglaze it and cook off some of the alcohol for about 2 minutes.
In the same saute pan over medium heat, add your onions a carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
Next, add your garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and mix well then pour the vegetables into the slow cooker.
Bring the saute pan back to the heat and now add 1/2 cup of your wine and deglaze the pan and cook off the alcohol for about 2 minutes.
Now add your tomato paste and mix it into your wine until it is smooth and no lumps remain.
Now pour this into the slow cooker.
At this point, your meat, carrots, onions, garlic and tomato paste should be in the slow cooker
Next, into your slow cooker add your beef stock, the remaining red wine, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Do not add your potatoes, parsley or mushrooms yet. Those will be added later!
Cook in your slow cooker on high heat for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, turn your cooker down to low and add in your potatoes.
Cook the potatoes for about 30 minutes or until they ar easily pierced with a fork.
Once the potatoes are cooked through, ladle out a small amount of the broth into a small bowl.
Mix the broth with your corn starch until there are no more lumps left
Add this cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and mix it in well
Place the lid on the slow cooker
In a saute pan over medium heat, heat your olive oil.
Once that is heated, add your mushrooms and saute until just tender.
Once cooked, add a pinch of salt, mix well and then pour your mushrooms into the slow cooker.
Mix those in well.
Once this is done, taste the broth and see if it needs any salt or pepper and adjust to taste