MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05 Title: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguigon Categories: Tested Yield: 4 Servings 1 1/2 lb Beef chuck roast-1 inch cube 8 oz Bacon, small dice 1 c Red wine 1/2 c Diced onion 1/2 c Sliced carrots 1/2 c Sliced celery 2 ea Garlic cloves, minced 1 tb Tomato paste 1 ts Dried thyme 1 ea Bay leaf 14 oz Beef broth ds Salt/pepper to taste 1 lb Mushrooms, sliced *See note 8 oz Frozen pearl onions MMMMM-------------------------THICKENER------------------------------ 6 tb Dry roux (or AP Flour) Cold water - enough to make - flour mixture into a slurry - that will pour into meat - mixture. *Note: Used 1/2 button mushrooms, 1/2 baby portabella mushrooms. Could use only one type of mushroom. This amount of food will nicely fit into a 4 quart slowcooker. Warm a fry pan over med high heat. Dice bacon and place in warmed pan. Stir and cook until bacon pieces are nicely browned and crisp. Remove from fry pan and place pieces on paper towel to drain. Save bacon grease. Place 2 tb of bacon grease back into the fry pan. Heat pan to med high. Cut beef into 1 inch cubes. Dry beef cubes with paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on cubes and place half of the meat in the hot fry pan. Sear beef cubes for 2 minutes or until nicely brown, turn cubes and continue searing other side of the cubes. Place browned meat into crockpot. Add more of the bacon grease and continue browning beef cubes in bacon grease until brown. Place meat in crockpot. Brown diced onion in the same pan until slightly brown, turn heat down and add the wine to deglaze pan. Pour mixture over meat. Add the sliced celery, carrots, diced garlic into crockpot. Add tomato paste and beef broth along with bay leaf and thyme. Stir to mix. Wipe inside of crockpot with paper towel to clean inside of liquid still on upper side of crockpot. Turn crockpot on high. Set timer for 3 hours and at that time add sliced mushrooms and pearl onions. Stir well. In another 3 hours test meet and make sure it is totally tender. Mix 6 tablespoons dry roux (or AP flour) with water to make a slurry, pour into crockpot and continue to cook on high for 1/2 hour or until gravy is as thick as you desire. At very last minute pour cooked bacon pieces into mixture. Stir well. Serve over thick noodles (dumpling noodles). Good with French Bread. Regular Oven Method Follow directions above, place in large oven proof pot or casserole dish. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add mushrooms and pearl onions at about 3 hours. Check tenderness of meat after 5 hours. Follow thicking method from above, add cooked bacon right before serving. Variation of recipe from thekitchn.com Tested in crockpot 1/14/14 Excellent flavor, mushrooms not soggy, pearl onions still slightly firm. Meat fall apart tender. Will try again. MMMMM