Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 ounces (2 pieces) (170g) bacon, roughly chopped
• 3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) Pierce Creek beef stew meat cut into bite-sized chunks approximately 1″
• 2 pounds of thickly sliced carrots approximately 1/2″ thick
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 tbsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 12 or more small pearl onions to taste
• 3 cups red wine (Burgundy, merlot, pinot noir, or chianti. For a milder sauce use 2 cups of wine and 3 cups of beef stock)
• 2 to 3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine use 3 cups of beef stock)
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed, or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon paste
• 4 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. In a large pan or skillet, sauté the bacon over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of oil for about three minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer cooked bacon to a 6-quart (liter) slow cooker bowl, and leave bacon fat in the skillet.

2. Turn on the slow cooker, and add the cooked bacon and 2 to 3 cups of unsalted beef stock.

3. Pat the beef dry with paper towels; if needed, cut large pieces so they are not more than a mouthful, and sear in batches in the oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Add the seared beef to the slow cooker.

4. Chop or press 6 cloves of garlic, chopped white onion, and pearl onions (which if larger, may be halved), and sauté everything.

5. Pour 2 to 3 cups of red wine into the skillet, and simmer for four to five minutes. Then whisk in 2 tablespoons flour until free from lumps, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon beef paste or bouillon cube. Allow to reduce and thicken slightly, and then pour it into the slow cooker along with herbs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper, and stir well to mix all of the ingredients.

6. Add chopped carrots.
7. Cook on high heat for five hours or low heat for eight hours, until beef is falling apart and tender.

8. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, prepare the mushrooms and melt the butter on medium heat in the same skillet used for everything else. (Hopefully, there is some delicious residue!) Add 2 cloves of garlic if desired, and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), add the mushrooms, and lightly stir until everything is covered in oil/butter. Turn off heat, and cover.

9. During the last 15 minutes, heat a baguette in the oven.

10. Add mushrooms to the bottom of individual serving bowls, and ladle beef bourguignon on top.

11. Serve with warm baguette slices and a full-bodied red wine, such as burgundy.

12. Optional: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Local Sourcing

For locavores who care about where their meat comes from, sourcing from Pierce Creek Cattle Company in Lonedell, Missouri, is a no-brainer. Six years ago, owners Kent Evans and Rachelle L’Ecuyer took over the farm, which has been in Evans’ family since 1943. They launched Pierce Creek Cattle Company in January 2018. At the time, there hadn’t been cattle on the land in roughly a decade. After initially considering crops as varied as elderberries and saffron, the duo decided to bring back the bovines. Today, roughly half of the farm’s 240 acres is pasture land, home to some of the happiest cows around. Pierce Creek cattle are grass-fed and grain-finished, receive no added hormones or unnecessary antibiotics, and graze on chemical-free fields. The cows are also processed locally, meaning consumers can easily trace their beef from farm to table.  “Our cows, until the day they go to the processor, are roaming around on grassy land,” L’Ecuyer says.

The boutique producer supplies beef to such area restaurants as The Crossing, Acero, and Barrio. Visitors to Concord Lanes and St. Charles Lanes can order burgers made with Pierce Creek beef as well, and fans can find Pierce Creek smashburgers at area events courtesy of The MOObile, the farm’s new food truck. Pierce Creek has also partnered with Clayton Winehouse for dining events, with more to come. For home cooks, Pierce Creek beef can be found at City Greens Market and Athenian Market or ordered online. Customers can order quarter, half, or whole beef packages as well as smaller beef bundles, ranging from 17 to 34 pounds. Delivery is free in the St. Louis area.