4ozbaby bella or cremini mushrooms, washed and slicedYou can use white or button mushrooms as well.
2sweet potatoes; peeled, rinsed, and cubed
1red or sweet onion, sliced into wedges
3large carrots, peeled, rinsed, and sliced
3cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly sliced
4cupsbeef broth
1/2cupred wine of your choice
1.5TBSPfresh rosemary, finely chopped
1.5TBSPfresh thyme, leaves only (sticks discarded)
1/4cupbalsamic vinegar
1tspkosher or sea salt, plus more to taste
1tspground black pepper, plus more to taste
Crusty fresh bread; optional
Instructions
Set your slow cooker to low to get it warmed up. Place the mushrooms, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic into the slow cooker.
In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat. Pat the beef chunks with a paper towel and lightly season them with salt and pepper on each side).
Place the beef into the skillet to sear it and give it a nice and light brown crust. This may take 2-3 minutes—don't move or flip the chunks of beef until they've browned. Once they've browned on one side, go ahead and flip them to brown the other side. You don't want to cook the beef through, you simply want to get a nice sear on the outside. Once the beef is seared on both sides, carefully transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Place the skillet back onto the stove, heat off; time to deglaze it! Add 1/2 cup of red wine, 1/2 cup of beef broth, and a few extra sprigs of rosemary if you have any, to the pan. (The rosemary sprigs are optional; I just love using them here because they infuse the liquid with flavor and the aromatics are delicious.)
Turn the heat back onto medium and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. This loosens all of the meat, fats, and extra juices from the pan. You can use a wooden or silicone spoon or spatula to scrape the crispy bits from the pan and stir them into the liquid as the liquid simmers.
Once the pan has been deglazed (about 2-4 minutes), carefully transfer the pan juices to the slow cooker. Remove the rosemary sprigs.
Add the freshly chopped herbs, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, and remaining 3.5 cups of beef broth to the slow cooker. Give everything a good toss.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Check for doneness periodically as timing will depend on the size of your cubed ingredients and just how hot your slow cooker model gets. You'll also want to do a taste test and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
When ready, serve in bowls with a garnish of fresh thyme and crusty fresh bread.
Notes
Recipe time: This recipe has a cook time for between 4-8 hours, depending on your settings. Slow cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, checking for doneness every now and then.