Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy

I have an incredible beef burgundy recipe from my mom that involves all kind of work, at least four kinds of booze, and baking in a Dutch oven for hours.  It is truly unbelievable - four-star restaurant quality.  But it IS work.  So I've found some shortcuts when I'm craving a TASTE but am not willing to spend the TIME. (And I serve the boeuf bourguignon on really special occasions.)

Easy Crock Pot Beef Burgundy 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
2 pounds cubed beef for stew
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 cup Burgundy {or red} wine
2 tablespoons minced garlic {or mince two garlic cloves}
4 ounces sliced baby Portabello mushrooms
1 tsp salt
3 bay leaves
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup warm water
1 – 2 tablespoons chopped parsley {optional}

Procedure:
Combine flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and steak seasoning in a ziploc bag and shake to mix.

Add stew meat to the bag and seal - Shake to coat and set aside.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the beef mixture and cook 5-6 minutes, turning often to brown meat on all sides. Don't try to crowd the beef - you want a good sear.

While the beef is browning, peel and slice the onion in half and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add the onion and the wine to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in garlic, mushrooms, bay leaves, and beef broth, and bring to a boil.

While that comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and the warm water to a small bowl and stir until dissolved.

Pour the cornstarch mixture into meat and stir for 1-2 minutes.  (You can do all this the night before, refrigerate and then put it in the crock to cook the next morning.  Don't refrigerate the crock and then put it in the cooker - it will crack!!)

Remove from heat and pour the stew into the crock pot.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Discard bay leaves before serving and add salt & pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Preparation time: 10 – 15 minutes

Cooking time: 4-8 hours, depending on temperature

Number of servings: 6

Source:  A Little Clarification