Beef Burgundy

Source: Slow Cooker Revolution

Ingredients

• 5lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" chunks
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 oz bacon (about 4 slices), minced
• 3 onions, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1/4 C tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 C all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 C pinot noir
• 1 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1/3 C soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 C frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 C water
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large

Directions

• Dry beef with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown beef and transfer to slow cooker.
• Cook bacon in skillet over medium-high until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Stir in onions, carrot, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in 1 1/4 C of wine, scraping up any browned bit and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
• Stir in broth, soy sauce, and bay leaves into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 - 11 hours on low or 5 - 7 on high.
• About 20 minutes before server, bring frozen pearl onions, water, butter, and sugar to boil in 12" skillet.  Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until onions are fully thawed and tender, 5 - 8 minutes.  Uncover, bring to a boil, and cook until all liquid evaporates, 3 - 4 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms and cook until vegetables are browned and glazed, 8- 12 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
• Add remaining 1 1/4 C wine to skillet and simmer until it had reduced by half, 6-8 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
• Let stew settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.  Discard bay leaves. 

America's Test Kitchen Notes: Keep flavor of wine in balance, they half half at the outset and reduct the remaining half to mellow it's sharpness.