Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon with Minute Polenta

Prepare Ingredients:

Wash the fresh produce. Cut carrot into 2cm rounds. Wipe mushroom caps clean with a damp cloth and leave mushrooms and potatoes whole. Peel garlic and roughly chop. Peel pickling onions and cut in half. Cut bacon into 1cm strips. Pat beef dry on paper towel and cut into 2-3cm pieces, season with salt and pepper.

Brown Meat:

In a pan, heat olive oil (enough to cover the base of the pan) over medium high heat. Add bacon and beef and sear for 3-4 minutes, until beef is browned and bacon starts to crisp. Add to the slow cooker.

Deglaze Pan:

Add cornflour to ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Add the red wine to the same pan, to deglaze, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Bring it to a simmer and whisk in tomato paste/soy sauce and cornflour/water. Stir until smooth and thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the sauce to the beef and bacon in the slow cooker.

Add Vegetables:

Add the carrot, onion, mushroom, garlic, thyme sprigs and potatoes to the slow cooker and give it a good stir to coat. Turn the slow cooker on and cover, cooking for 8 hours. (TIP: You can also cook in a low oven, around 120°C, in an oven tray covered with foil for 8 hours).

Make Polenta:

Add chicken stock concentrate and 450 mL water to a pot and bring to the boil. Remove boiling water from heat and slowly pour in the polenta while stirring constantly for 1 minute. (TIP: we used a whisk to really get all those lumps out). Once the polenta starts coming away from the sides of the pot, add butter and mix for another 10 seconds. Check seasoning, and season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.

You Plate It:

Turn off the slow cooker and give the contents a good stir. Divide the polenta between plates. Top with beef bourguignon from the slow cooker and enjoy!