Autumn Recipe: Beef bourguignon

This beef bourguignon recipe is intended for use with a slow cooker.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1½ kg stewing or braising steak, cut into small chunks
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 thyme sprigs or rosemary sprigs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 750ml bottle red wine
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100g unsmoked bacon lardons
• 6 small shallots or baby onions, halved or quartered
• 300g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered
• mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve

Method

☐ Turn the slow cooker to low and heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 minutes in batches until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
☐ Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato purée and mix to form a paste. Scrape the paste into the onion mix and pour in the remaining wine. Bring the mixture to a bubble, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the browned beef and simmer on low for 6-8 hrs.
☐ About 35 minutes before serving, fry the bacon, shallots and mushrooms for 5-8 minutes until caramelised and the veg is starting to soften, then tip into the slow cooker. Simmer the stew gently on high for 30 minutes.