This hearty beef stew is the epitome of comfort food and so welcome on a cold winter’s night.

Ingredients

1/2 lb thick bacon, cut in 1″ pieces
2 lb stewing beef, cubed
3 Tbps Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
5 carrots, sliced thick
3 stalks celery, sliced thick
2 large red onions, large dice
Sea salt & Ground black pepper
All-purpose flour (for sprinkling)
4 potatoes, cubed (yellow, like Yukon Gold)
1 lg (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 ½ Cups dry red wine
3/4 Cups Traditional Dark Balsamic
1 Cups beef stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 Cups mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, whole

Directions

In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel, reserving fat.

Rinse beef, pat dry and coat with flour. Add Tuscan Herb Olive Oil to fry pan with 3 Tbsp reserved bacon grease and bring to heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches and put in your slow cooker with the bacon.

Saute carrots & celery in the hot pan (add more olive oil if necessary) until browning, approximately 2 to 3 minutes; remove to slow cooker.

Add onions to your frying pan and sauté until soft. Deglaze your pan with a splash of wine, scraping bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add everything left in the frying pan to the slow cooker.

To the crock pot, add the potatoes, tomatoes, remaining wine, Traditional Dark Balsamic Vinegar and enough stock to, almost cover the meat and vegetables. Add the garlic cloves and thyme. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with fresh chewy bread.