Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 3 lbs beef rump or 3 lbs chuck, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
  • 1 medium onion, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons flour (or for GF, 1 1/4 tbsp corn starch)
  • 14 ounces low sodium beef broth (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 14 ounces white pearl onions, peeled (I use frozen, thawed and drained)
  • 1 lb cremini mushroom, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup red wine

Method

  • cook bacon in fry-pan, remove and drain most of the grease out of the pan. While bacon is cooking, prep your onion and carrots and set aside.
  • 2. add beef cubes to same pan used for bacon and brown well. Placed browned beef cubes in crock-pot that has been coated with cooking spray.
  • 3. add chopped cooked bacon, thyme, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and pearl onions to crock-pot on top of beef (no need to stir). Brown carrot, and cubed onion in same pan as meat and season with 1 teaspoons salt and pepper and add to crock-pot.
  • 4. cook mushrooms and 1 tsp salt in same pan (use cooking spray if needed). Stir in flour (or corn starch). Add broth, mix well until you get a thick mushroom gravy and add as top layer in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low 7 hours.
  • 5. add wine about an hour before serving (at 6 hours of cooking in crock-pot) and stir. Continue cooking. Serve alone with crusty bread or with noodles.
  • tip for thicker gravy: in a small pot, mix 1 tbsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water (1 tbsp butter optional) add to crock pot, stir well and cover on high for 10 minutes.