I read about Boeuf Bourguignon in Julia Child’s cooking bible & started thinking how to do it – a modest version of course.
Instead of a dutch oven I decided to do it in my slow cooker meaning that I prepare the ingredients, put everything in my slow cooker & start the high temp program. Afterwards the slow cooker will sit in a corner on my kitchen counter daydreaming … no need for any stirring every 30 min, adding this or that after an hour or 2 or so: you are free to do whatever is fine during the day.
Gradually a yummy flavour spreads all over the place … Finally you get a pot filled w/ tender meat, soft vegetables & lots of delicious liquid!
When there is a lazy evening & you find yourself & your better half sitting comfortably – maybe on your terrace or in front of TV – a bowl of beef in wine accompanied by fresh crunchy baguette may be the perfect dinner solution.
So: what do we need?
Basically, it’s:
- beef (lean beef for roasting/stewing)
- a big onion
- some bacon
- some carrots
- some mushrooms
and for the flavour:
- thyme (dried is fine!)
- bay leaves
- ground sweet paprika
- tomato purée (… some sugar added!)
- fresh garlic
and then – of course:
- beef fond
- red wine.
We started w/ chopping the vegetables & the bacon. Also the beef ended up in nice pieces. We now fry both one after the other in the same pan – each for about 5 min until nicely brown.
Then we load the slow cooker:
- w/ the fried onion& bacon
- w/ the vegetables
- w/ fried beef.
We mix the tomato purée w/ the herbs & spices & into the slow cooker it goes!
After adding beef fond & red wine we are ready to start the slow cooker.
It’s a slow cooker session at high temperature for about 5 h (minimum!). After about 2 h a delicious tantalizing flavour will fill your kitchen & your rooms …
The beef will get very, very tender. The wine is all over the dish & cannot be ignored. (Don’t forget to discard the bay leaves!)
Just fill the stew in a deep plate or bowl & grab some fresh baguette!
Enjoy!
- about 750 g lean beef for roasting/stewing
- 1-2 onions
- 150 g Italian bacon (finely sliced)
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (optional)
- some olive oil for frying
- 2-3 carrots
- 100 g mushrooms (optional – replaced by carrots)
- 2 cans tomato purée (140 g)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400 ml beef stock
- 400 ml red wine
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground sweet paprika
- salt & pepper
- frying pan
- a slow cooker
- hand blender (optional)
- Chop the onions & the thin slices of Italian bacon. Start frying for about 5 min in some olive oil. Add pressed garlic (optional). Add salt & pepper to taste. Transfer everything into the slow cooker.
- Chop the carrots & the mushrooms (optional) & put into the slow cooker.
- Cut the beef into pieces of about 3-4 cm & fry until slightly brown allover (in the same frying pan w/o cleaning). Transfer the fried beef into the slow cooker.
- Mix tomato purée w/ thyme, sweet paprika & sugar & pour into the slow cooker.
- Pour the beef stock & the red wine in the slow cooker.
- Add bay leaves.
- Start the slow cooker on high temperature for 4 – 5 hours.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- If you like a smooth sauce just fish the beef out of the slow cooker. With a hand blender purée all the rest (liquids, vegetables …) until smooth. (For this version I used no mushrooms, but more carrots.) Don't forget the final seasoning!
- Serve w/ roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, pasta, rice or just fresh baguette.
- You may store the dish in your fridge for a week or so. You may also freeze it. Best approach: reheat in the microwave.
