I was not chosen as the next contestant on The Price is Right. Bummer. But there was a car, several trips, and a Mac I’d have loved to have won 😉
Instead, I got home way past my bedtime and struggled through the entire day. Sleep deprivation is no fun. (And not any better today after getting home at MIDNIGHT from my hockey game last night…)
One of the people who did get picked as a contestant said that she attended the show because doing so was on her mom’s bucket list. If I had a bucket list, I’d probably have crossed off the very same thing. Perhaps I should have a bucket list, I don’t know.
I did get to cross a restaurant off my must-have list, however. Maybe my list of places/things I MUST eat is the foodie equivalent to a Bucket List. Let’s go with that.
It’s this really great restaurant called Food Dance in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They stick to the locavore movement, creating from-scratch recipes with local ingredients — a restaurant who’s mission I stand behind 100%. And the food? Ohhhhhhh…..the food.
I’m not sure which was my favorite – the arugula salad with dried Michigan cherries, pine nuts, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and this fabulous vinaigrette OR the autumn bruschetta with jam, smokehouse ricotta, and bacon OR the pasta with braised lamb and butternut squash. There was simply no going wrong.
This Beef Burgundy recipe is something I would have considered an item on my Foodie Bucket List, too. When I ordered Slow Cooker Revolution off Amazon, I was excited to increase my crock pot recipe repertoire and find weeknight meals that came together in a snap. Somewhat unfortunately, that’s not quite what this cookbook entails. Instead the cookbook is gourmet-quality crock pot recipes that likely require a few extra steps. And by a few…I mean quite a few.
Even still, I’ve had the recipe dog-eared in the book for over a year now and I’ve been wanting to make it for a crowd. My impatience got the best of me, however, and I threw it all together for a weeknight meal for just Mr. Prevention and I. Believe it or not, the recipe left me so sick and tired of cooking that I ended up serving the amazing Beef Burgundy over…instant mashed potatoes. Good thing I like instant mashed potatoes (don’t judge!).
After it’s all said and done, I’d make this recipe again in a heartbeat. It was that good…even coming from 2 people who don’t love beef. This recipe was absolutely phenomenal and worth the extra time to throw together.
- 5 lb boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chuncks
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz (about 4 slices) uncured bacon, minced
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups Pinot Noir, divided
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 oz pearl onions, peeled
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Once hot, add half the cubed beef and transfer the other half directly to the crock pot. Brown the meat on all sides for 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
- Return the skillet to the stove top and add the bacon, heating over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the diced onion, carrot, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme. Cook the mixture until the onions are softened, translucent, and beginning to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in 1¼ cups of the wine; once combined, transfer to the slow cooker.
- To the crock pot, add the broth, soy sauce, bay leaves, and pearl onions; stir. Cook on low for 9 to 11 hours.
- About 20 minutes before serving, heat the water, butter, and sugar in a large sauce pan over high heat, bringing to a boil. Allow mixture to reduce by half, stirring occasionally, cooking 5 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir. Allow mushrooms to cook and soften for about 5 minutes; transfer mushrooms and liquid to the slow cooker; stir.
- Meanwhile, in a separate, small sauce pan, heat the remaining 1¼ cups wine over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to reduce by half, cooking 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
- Once all components are into the crock, give it a final stir and remove the bay leaves. Serve over mashed potatoes, if desired.
Friday, where are you?
Be well,
That looks mouth-watering delicious!
Sorry you didn’t get picked! What’s this? You and Mr. P. aren’t big fans of beef – but you are Midwesterners!
This looks delicious and I am sure the leftovers are great too. ๐
Your description of the food you ate in Kalamazoo….OH MY GOSH. I WANT!!
I really like that cookbook too! The Tomatillo Chili with Pork and Hominy (p126) is worth the woork. I discovered that you can do the prep 1-2 days ahead keep it in your crockpot in the fridge and start it on a weekday morning on your way out the door. I tend to prep it on Sunday whe I am doing my cooking/preping for the week and have it Monday or Tueday and then leftovers later in the week when I am too tired to care what we eat ๐
I don’t mind putting a little effort into crock pot meals. I don’t make them very often, but if I prep them late the night before or on the weekend then they’re usually easy to pull together on a weekday morning for dinner that night.
I really like the sound of that Food Dance place. I’d love to try it sometime!
I want absolutely everything you described in this post… YUM! Can’t wait to try this recipe for myself, it sounds fantastic.
-Shannon
This was amazing! Made it for dinner tonight! What a nice fall hearty warm meal. Had it with a side of quinoa…phenomenal
Author
Diane: I’m so glad you loved it, too! A little labor intensive for a crock pot recipe, but ohhh my goodness….so worth it!
Was the flour for coating the beef before browning or for a thickener later ?
Author
Thickening.
Why do you only brown half the meat? I’m making this tomorrow.
Author
Great question, and I’m not sure of the answer ๐ I am guessing it has something to do with the large volume of meat (not enough space in the pan and you’d need to do it in 2 batches) plus the long cook time. Usually that process helps the meat withstand cooking temperatures without getting tough, but like you asked, why only half? I dunno! ๐ I followed the original recipe very closely, however, and the results, mmmmmm! You will love it!
I’ve got the pan heating now. I think I will try browning
all the meat.
Came out great! I didn’t have bacon and my thyme has gotten scorched from the cold, so I didn’t add that either. Still turned out awesome. Also, I cooked it on high for 6 hours because I didn’t have enough time. Still works well. Next time bacon!
I didn’t notice the RD at first, I have a degree in nutrition from Penn State.
Made twice added of course more bacon. It is really good.
Author
Thanks, Kim! Glad you enjoyed ๐
I prepared the recipe and strictly followed all the instructions. The result was outstanding! Thank you so very much.