Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.

2. 2

   Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper, then toss with the flour to coat.

3. 3

   Raise the heat to medium-high. Sear the beef in two or three batches, adding olive oil if the pan looks dry, until well browned on a couple of sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Move each batch to the slow cooker.

4. 4

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.

5. 5

   Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the pan. Let it simmer until it has cooked down by about half, 5 to 6 minutes, then pour everything into the slow cooker.

6. 6

   Add the beef stock, carrots, thyme and bay leaves to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours), until the beef is very tender.

7. 7

   About 15 minutes before serving, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and their liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

8. 8

   Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves. Stir in the mushrooms and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. If using pearl onions, stir them in, switch the cooker to HIGH, cover and cook until the onions are heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

9. 9

   Sprinkle with parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking.