Sunday Rewind: Slow Cooking My Wife’s Purse

Beef Burgundy – Originally posted April 5, 2012

As The Rantings of an Amateur Chef has been going since February of 2012, there are quite a few readers that have joined along the way. In an effort to bring back some great recipes that they may have missed, I will dedicate Sundays to re-posting a favorite that is at least two years old. I hope you enjoy! – The Ranting Chef

For much of my childhood I was a latchkey kid. Both parents worked, and several times every week I would come home to a note that read:

Crock Pot is in the fridge. Plug in on high. Love, Mom.

We used our slow cooker a significant amount. Chicken or beef. I don’t really remember anything thing else, but we had a variety of recipes with chicken or beef. By the time my parents came in the door from a long day of work, the smell of the slow cooking creation had permeated the house (and driven the dogs crazy with hunger).

A favorite of ours (and many slow cooker chefs) was Beef Burgundy. Not beef bourguignon, or Boeuf à la Bourguignonne. That sounded too fancy for our slow cooker, so we just called it Beef Burgundy.

Beef Burgundy

Such a rich, meaty dish.

I purchased stroganoff cut beef and sliced it into cubes and the mushrooms were baby bella mushrooms.

Dice and fry up the bacon.

Then the boeuf. Um, I mean beef.

Throw it all into the slow cooker.

I started this little trick several years ago. My wife leaves for work at a time where starting the cooking on slow right when she leaves, makes it pretty much perfect timing. As I generally prepare the slow cooker the night before, and to insure it actually makes it out of the fridge, I started hiding her purse in the outer shell of the slow cooker. Let’s say we haven’t missed once with this plan.

Beef Burgundy

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 8 hrs |  Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon — chopped
• 2 pounds sirloin tip or round steak — cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic — minced
• 1 cube beef bouillon — crushed
• 1 1/2 cups Burgundy wine
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms

Directions:

In large skillet cook bacon several minutes. Remove bacon and set aside. Coat beef with flour and brown on all sides in bacon mixture. Combine steak, bacon drippings, cooked bacon, seasonings, bouillon and Burgundy in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender. Turn control to high. Add cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tablespoons water); cook on high 15 minutes. Serves 6. NOTES : Can add 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms during last 15 minutes, if desired.

Source: http://www.slowandsimple.com/Beef_Burgundy-r-11.html