Equipment Needed
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker
- Large skillet or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Tongs
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, we’re going to build a flavor foundation. Pat your beef cubes very dry with paper towels—this is crucial for getting a good sear, not a steam. Heat the olive oil in your large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan (a mistake I’ve made that leads to gray, boiled meat), sear the beef on all sides until it develops a beautiful, brown crust. This isn’t about cooking it through, just about creating those tasty browned bits called fond in the bottom of the pan. Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.
In that same skillet, now filled with glorious beefy fond, add your chopped onion. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and stir for just 30 seconds until fragrant—you don’t want it to burn. Then, add all the sliced mushrooms. This might look like a mountain, but they’ll shrink down dramatically. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and started to brown. This concentrates their flavor immensely.
Sprinkle the flour and tomato paste over the mushroom mixture and stir constantly for a full minute. This cooks out the raw flour taste and toasts the tomato paste, which sweetens it. Now, carefully pour in the red wine. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up every last bit of that fond from the bottom of the pan; that’s pure flavor gold. Let it simmer for a minute or two until it thickens slightly, then pour this entire savory mixture over the beef in the slow cooker.
To the slow cooker, add the carrots, celery, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Give everything a gentle stir to combine. Place the lid on, set it to LOW for 8 hours, and walk away. The hardest part is resisting the urge to peek! Lifting the lid lets out precious heat and steam. About 30 minutes before serving, I like to check the consistency. If it’s thinner than you’d like, you can make a quick slurry of a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of cold broth or water, stir it in, and let it cook on HIGH for those last 30 minutes to thicken.(See the next page below to continue…)