Home Cooking: Slow cooker beef bourguignon proves French food does not need a pro kitchen

Many home cooks avoid beef bourguignon because the name suggests high cost and complex technique. Roy Mosby, a Marysville resident, decided to test that assumption. He used a slow cooker to prepare the classic French dish for his audience on the YouTube channel Broke Gourmet.

Mosby noted that the dish is essentially a beef stew with a French accent. The recipe calls for beef chuck roast, bacon, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and pearl onions. A sauce made from red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and flour binds the ingredients together. The process requires patience, but it does not require professional equipment.

The cooking method begins in a skillet. Mosby browns the chopped bacon first, leaving some rendered fat in the pan. He then sears the beef in batches to create a brown crust on the meat. This step builds flavor before the meat moves to the slow cooker. The sauce forms in the same skillet. Onions and garlic cook briefly, followed by tomato paste and flour. Wine and broth are added to scrape up browned bits from the pan.

The sauce is poured over the beef and bacon in the slow cooker. Dried thyme and bay leaves are added. The appliance runs on low heat for six to eight hours. Carrots join the pot after about two and a half to three hours. Mosby holds off on adding mushrooms and pearl onions until the end of the cook. He sautes these vegetables separately until browned and tender before folding them into the dish.

The beef is ready when it yields easily to a fork. Mosby warned that timing varies based on the size of the beef pieces and the specific appliance. The cook must check the meat rather than relying solely on the clock. If the sauce is too thin, the liquid can be removed and reduced in a saucepan before being returned to the pot.

The final dish serves approximately three to four people. Mosby served his version over creamy mashed potatoes. The potatoes absorbed the rich wine sauce. He stated that the meal was not quick, but the effort was worth the result. The recipe demonstrates that a small kitchen and basic tools can produce a dish often reserved for restaurants.

The full recipe lists specific quantities for each component. The beef chuck roast should be cut into pieces about two inches wide. The recipe requires between one and two cups of dry red wine. Cooks can use fresh or frozen pearl onions. The instructions emphasize seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste throughout the process.