The best of the best when it comes to cozy fall comfort meals
There is truly nothing better than a bowl of fall-apart tender beef stew, packed with tons of hearty root vegetables over creamy whipped potatoes. The ultimate comfort meal that is nourishing + healing. My dad requests this beef bourguignon often, it is his favorite meal I make! I debated making this recipe available for paid subscribers only due to the time it took to perfect it- but I think everyone needs this incredible recipe for stew season.
If you’re going to make one recipe from my substack, let this be it. Find the full recipe below!
Beef Bourguignon (serves 6-8)
What you’ll need*:
6 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, chopped
3-4lbs chuck roast, chopped into small chunks (you can also buy pre-butchered stew meat, but I prefer to do it myself), seasoned with salt and pepper
1 ½ cups red wine
1 parsnip, chopped into small chunks
2-3 large carrots, chopped into small chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
8oz sliced or chopped baby Bella mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 ½ cups beef broth + an extra ½ cup
2 tbsp starch (corn or arrowroot)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
Lots of freshly cracked black pepper
3 bay leaves
Parsley to garnish
*you’ll need a slow cooker to make this recipe. I have not tested it with alternative cooking methods.
Instructions
Start by chopping your parsnip, carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Then, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add your chopped bacon to the skillet and cook until nice and browned. Remove and add to your slow cooker. Reserve the fat in the pan.
In the same pan (do not rinse the pan), add your chuck stew meat. You do not want to overcrowd the pan- do this step in batches if needed. You want to get the meat browned on both sides, but don’t fully cook it through. Once browned, add stew meat to your slow cooker.
Without cleaning your pan, add the yellow onion and cook until browned. Remove and add onion to slow cooker.
Add the red wine to the pan and scrape up and of those browned bits in the pan. Allow the wine to simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until it is slightly reduced.
Add your wine, parsnip, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add the tomato paste, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
Add 3 ½ cups of beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine everything. Add your bay leaves and make sure they are submerged in the broth.
Place the slow cooker over low heat and cook for 8 hours. Alternatively, you can cook on high heat for about 4 hours; I don’t recommend cooking on high as the meat will not be as tender and the flavors won’t develop as much, but it will still taste incredible.
After cooking for 8 hours, skim the fat off of the top of the stew. Combine the starch with 2 tbsp of water. Add to the slow cooker, stir, and place on high for about 15 minutes to slightly thicken the broth. (This step is optional)
Serve with mashed/whipped potatoes, chopped parsley, and crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!
I hope you love this recipe as much as my family and I do. It’s truly incredible!!!!
For more content, make sure you’re following my Instagram @abigailsapron and stay tuned for more delicious recipes like this one!
With love,
Abigail
This is incredible!!