Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Rosemary and Tomatoes

Whenever I make this stew, my two boys eat it up, and that is RARE for a dinner that isn’t chicken nuggets and french fries. I’ve been making this recipe for years, I found it in a cookbook called “The French Slow cooker” by Michele Scicolone. I have to admit, it’s the only recipe I’ve made from the book, but I’ve tried many other beef stew recipes and I always come back to this one. It’s simple but doesn’t taste that way. You start by getting a nice sear on all edges of the beef, then sweat the onions and garlic in the same pan. Deglaze with red wine (or beef broth) and reduce to intensify the flavors, then add it all to a slow cooker along with carrots, and tomatoes and let your house fill with earthy aromas all day until dinner. Right before dinner time, you sauté some mushrooms in butter and add them in, chop up some parsley and you’re ready to go! I love to serve this with polenta, and I found a super easy recipe that doesn’t involve stirring over the stove for minutes on end. Find it here.

Recipe by Michele Scicolone, Adapted by Tierney Larson

Ingredients:

Serves 8 (I often split this recipe in half and it works great!)

*4 pounds of boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup of AP Flour

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbl tomato paste

1 cup red wine (I love a good cote du rhone for cooking)

2 cups of beef broth or stock

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 14.5 ounce can of chopped tomatoes

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

a splash of sherry vinegar (before serving)

For the mushrooms:

2 tbl unsalted butter

1lb of baby bella or white button mushrooms, quartered

2 tbl chopped italian flat leaf parsley

*if you get pre cut beef that’s already cubed and it’s smaller than 2 inches, make sure to sear for less time on each side, you don’t want to cook them through.

Ok so…

Put your slow cooker on low to preheat. Place a large heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Pour the flour into a dish and season that as well with kosher salt and pepper. Toss the beef cubes in the flour and shake off any excess. Add the olive oil to the skillet and when it is shimmering and hot add the beef in batches, browning it on all sides. When the beef is browned, add it to your slow cooker.

Without draining any remaining liquid from the skillet, lower the heat to medium and add the onion and a pinch of salt to the skillet and sauté until softened about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and another pinch of salt and cook stirring occasionally until the tomato paste has turned brick red.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half. Add to the slow cooker.

Add the carrots, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary and beef stock to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is very tender. Taste and add kosher salt and pepper if necessary. I also like to add a splash of sherry vinegar to brighten the flavor at the end.
When you’re almost ready to serve, heat 2 tbl of unsalted butter in a skillet over Medium-high heat, add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and the parsley to the slow cooker and serve! Enjoy :)