Beef Bourguignonne

4 pounds beef stew meat, like chuck roast 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided ½ cup unbleached flour 1 tablespoon olive oil 16 ounces cremini mushrooms ½ cup parsley leaves 4 garlic cloves 1 large onion, cut into quarters 1 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces 8 slices bacon, diced 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 2 cups dry red wine 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup beef or chicken stock 1 bay leaf 2 cups baby carrots 2 cups frozen pearl onions

Season beef with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper; dust lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch GreenGourmet skillet. When hot, sauté the beef in batches, until nicely browned. Once all the beef has been browned place into the ceramic pot of the Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker. While the beef is browning, insert the slicing disc assembly into the Cuisinart Food Processor and slice the mushrooms, remove and reserve. Replace the slicing disc with the metal chopping blade. Add the parsley and process until finely chopped. Remove and reserve to use once the dish is finished. With the machine running, drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube, process until garlic is finely chopped. Add onions and carrots and pulse to chop, about 10 to 12 pulses. Remove and reserve. Add the diced bacon to the skillet and cook until completely cooked through. Remove and reserve. Sauté the onion and garlic mixture until softened, about 5 minutes. Add butter and sliced mushrooms. Once mushrooms begin to brown, add the remaining salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Sauté mushrooms until lightly browned and so that moisture is released. Add red wine to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits that may have accumulated with a wooden spoon. Pour all ingredients into the ceramic cooking pot. Add the tomato paste, stock, bay leaf, baby carrots and reserved beef. Cover and press the on/off button to turn the unit on. Set time to 10 hours and press Low. Add the pearl onions once there is 30 minutes of cooking time left. Slow cooker will automatically switch to Warm when cooking time has elapsed. Degrease the cooking liquid with a fat mop. (Or pour the liquid into a fat separator and allow the fat to rise to the top. Then pour the defatted liquid back into the cooked vegetables.) Stir in reserved chopped parsley and bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. The flavors of this stew continue to develop as it sits – it is best served the day after it is cooked.