Mom's Beef Bourguignon
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Prep: 
Cook: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Simmered all day in wine...you know this beef is gonna taste good :) Make sure you're around about ½ an hour before you want to eat to do the final steps.
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg (14g) dried porcini mushrooms (you can substitute regular button mushrooms as well - if you are not using mushrooms, increase stock amount to 1 cup)
  • 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1” cubes
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1½ cups red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Merlot (buy one good enough to enjoy drinking the rest with dinner…or enjoy a glass while cooking :))
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (I only add this in the summer and fall when it is in my garden…otherwise I always end up wasting the rest!)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp butter or margarine
  • 3 cups button mushrooms (small regular mushrooms…if you have big ones, just cut them smaller)
  • 2 tbsp sherry or brandy (optional)
  • 2-3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Soak dried mushrooms, if using, in ½ cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, trim fat off meat and cut into cubes
  2. In large frying pan, sauté bacon pieces over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to slow cooker. Drain fat from pan. Add 1 tbsp of the oil; brown beef in batches, adding remaining oil if necessary. Add browned meat to slow cooker. Drain fat from pan.
  3. Fry onion, carrot, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Reserving soaking liquid, remove mushrooms from liquid and chop; add to pan along with the soaking liquid, wine, stock, parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into slow cooker.
  4. (If you are making this ready the day before, cover and refrigerate at this point.)
  5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Beef should be very tender.
  6. In skillet, sauté button mushrooms over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker along with sherry or brandy, if using.
  7. Turn slow cooker to high heat. Stir together cornstarch with enough cold water to make a slurry. Add enough of the slurry to thicken stew to desired consistency. Cover and continue to cook on high for another 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly.
  8. Serve over hot mashed potatoes.
Notes
Adapted from Canadian Living.
Recipe by Hidden Ponies at https://hiddenponies.com/2013/04/moms-beef-bourguignon/