Beef Bourguignon is the French cousin to pot roast, with the addition of red wine, large cubes of beef and very slow cooking to make it all tender. At the end, the liquids are separated from the beef, carrots, potatoes and onion and reduced and thickened to become a silky sauce to serve over the solids.

Key to getting the most flavor is browning the meat as well as the carrots and mushrooms. When browning in a skillet, it’s important not to touch the pieces until you turn them, cooking them for 4-6 minutes on each side over medium heat. Prep time for this is 45 minutes to an hour with all the browning, and cooking time is 4-6 hours, so be sure to get an early start.

1. Mince the bacon and brown in a large skillet to render the fat. Remove the bits to a slow cooker.
2. Add the red wine, stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to the cooker.
3. Cut the beef into large (1 1/2-2″) cubes and place in the skillet to brown. Give it about 5 minutes over medium-high heat on two  sides to brown the meat (10 min. total). Add to cooker.
4. Add the potatoes to the cooker.
5. Cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces and cook in the skillet for 5 min over medium heat until they get some browning on one side. Add to cooker. Halve the mushrooms and do the same.
6. Mince the onion, celery, and garlic and saute until soft. Add to cooker.
7. Deglaze skillet with a few tbs of water and add to cooker.
8. Press all the pieces down to get them mostly covered by the fluid and cover cooker.
9. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4
10. Strain off the liquid and heat it in a saucepan until gently boiling. Thicken to a “silky” texture, which is often described as “coating the back of a spoon.” I use a combination of reducing and adding Wondra (or whatever flour you like). Season with a little more salt if you like.  I like to wind up with 2-3 cups of sauce.
11. Plate the solid ingredients and spoon the sauce over it.

Note: serving on a bed of French bread is traditional, but since I’ve added potatoes, that’s overkill, non?