Classic Beef Bourguignon is traditionally made in a big bubbly pot on top of the stove, but did you know you can take advantage of your slow cooker or pressure cooker and make it that way instead?

I can’t take credit for this recipe. It comes straight from the pages of, From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole-Foods Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Instant Pot by Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer.

What I love best about this Beef Bourguignon (besides it’s rich, luscious flavor), is its versatility. You can make it in the pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, or you can prep the ingredients ahead of time, freeze them, and then cook later when you have more time

This recipe for The Humble Home Cook’s Beef Bourguignon comes together quickly with classic ingredients like lean stew meat, bacon, potatoes, carrots and red wine, but its flavor gets kicked up a notch with soy sauce and tomato paste. I cooked it quickly in the Instant Pot, and the meat was melt-in-your-mouth fork tender.

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The Humble Home Cook's Beef Bourguignon made in the Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker

 

Author: Rachel Tiemeyer

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: French

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The classic recipe for Beef Bourguignon can cook all day on the stove, or it can come together quickly in the Instant Pot. I prefer quick, but I won't sacrifice flavor. That's why I adore this hearty, family-style recipe from the new cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker. You can make it in the pressure cooker or slow cooker, but if you prefer freezing prepping the ingredients partway, freezing, and then thawing and cooking later, you can do that too. I did make one small change to the recipe: Instead of using 3 pounds of beef chuck roast, I bought a 1.5 pound package of lean stew beef at Trader Joe's and more veggies to compensate for the reduction in beef.

Ingredients

• 4 thick-cut slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour or white whole-wheat flour (use 2 tablespoons cornstarch for gluten free)
• 1½ cups dry red wine (we recommend Pinot Noir)
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 5 medium carrots, sliced on an angle about ½ inch thick (about 2 cups)
• 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (5 to 6 cups)
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks {* I used 1.5 pounds and added more veggies to compensate}
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

SLOW COOKER instructions:

Make it Now:

1. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the slow cooker, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
2. Add the onion to the pan with the bacon grease and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper as it cooks and stirring in the garlic during the last 30 to 60 seconds of cooking. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, and soy sauce and whisk until smooth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until thickened slightly. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
3. Pour the sauce into the slow cooker. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes.
4. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides, add it to the cooker, and stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, until the beef and vegetables are very tender.
6. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Use a large spoon to skim some of the fat off the surface, if desired. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Freeze for later:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 (above), but transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let the bacon and sauce cool, then transfer both to one or two gallon-size freezer bags or containers. If using just one bag, it should fit but be very full, so have someone help hold it open while filling it. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides. Place the seasoned beef, thyme, bay leaf, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes in the same bag or container as the bacon and sauce. Seal and toss gently to combine, making sure the potatoes are completely submerged in the sauce to prevent browning. Freeze.

Prepare from frozen:

1. Have salt, pepper, and parsley to complete this meal. Thaw. Transfer to the slow cooker and follow steps 5 and 6.

INSTANT POT instructions:

Make it now:

1. Place the bacon in the 6-quart Instant Pot and set the pot to “Sauté.” Fry the bacon until crisp on both sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
2. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper as it cooks and stirring in the garlic during the last 30 to 60 seconds of cooking. Add the flour and
   cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, and soy sauce and whisk until smooth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until thickened slightly. Press “Cancel.” (Freezing instructions begin here.)
3. Add the bacon back to the pot along with the thyme, bay leaf, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes and stir to combine. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides, add it to the pot, and stir to combine.
4. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
5. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Use a large spoon to skim some of the fat off the surface, if desired. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Freeze for later:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 (above). Let the bacon and sauce cool, then transfer both to one or two gallon-size bags or round containers. If using just one bag, it should fit but be very full, so have someone help hold it open while filling it. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides. Place the seasoned beef, thyme, bay leaf, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes in the same bag or container as the bacon and sauce. Seal and toss gently to combine, making sure the potatoes are completely submerged in the sauce to prevent browning. Freeze (if using a freezer bag, set it in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot so it will fit in the pot when frozen).

Prepare from frozen:

Note:

1. Have salt, pepper, and parsley on hand to complete this meal. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Transfer the frozen meal to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to release some liquid (or until it cooks down enough to close the lid). Press “Cancel.” Follow steps 4 and 5. (The frozen meat will cook in the same amount of time as fresh.)

Notes

Reprinted from, From Freezer to Cooker: Copyright © 2020 by Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

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