1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Bacon strips, chopped
2 medium Onions, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 cups Carrots, sliced (same size as cubed beef)
1 1/2 cups red Potatoes, sliced (same size as cubed beef)
1 Bouquet Garni (fresh or dried made of thyme, bay leaf and parsley)
1 1/3 cup dry Red Wine
8 oz brown Mushrooms, chopped (like mini-Bella)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Liberally season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep pan or large skillet. Add the chopped Bacon and cook just until they begin to render their fat. Remove and set aside. Brown the cubed beef to sear in batches and avoid overcrowding the meat. Place the beef cubes in a large platter as you cook. Searing is worth the work to add more depth of flavor. Quickly, sauté the onions and garlic in the remaining fat in the pan for a couple of minutes. Scrape all that yummy brown bits in there. Place the sauteed onions and garlic and everything else left on the pan on the slow cooker. Add the beef cubes, fried bacon and sliced carrots and potatoes together with the bouquet garni (if using dried or fresh in a packet). Pour in the red wine. Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. After 6-7 hours of cooking, when the beef is already tender, add the mushrooms and herbs (if using fresh Bouquet garni not in a packet but simply tied together). Cook for another hour or 2 until the mushrooms are tender. Transfer to a platter, removing the bouquet garni before serving. Enjoy with some rice or mashed potatoes.