Former MasterChef runner-up Dean Edwards has revealed a fuss-free slow cooker beef bourguignon that delivers fall-apart tender meat with minimal effort. The recipe swaps the saucepan for a slow cooker, letting the appliance do all the work.
Comfort food season arrives
As autumn brings plummeting temperatures and dreary weather, home cooks are turning to hearty recipes. Dean Edwards, who finished as runner-up on MasterChef in 2006, shared his ultimate winter warmer, promising "hug in a bowl" results without hours over the hob.
In a video, Dean said: "Right, that's it, I've given up, the heating's on and I need some comfort food. And this banging slow cooker beef bourguignon is definitely gonna hit the spot."
Simple slow cooker method
The slow cooker is fuss and mess-free, with no pans, no stress, and no standing over a hot hob. All ingredients go into the pot, and the machine works its magic. Dean opts for beef cheeks, a cut that lends itself brilliantly to slow cooking.
To guarantee tender beef and the perfect sauce consistency, Dean suggests coating the meat in cornflour. He said: "My beef bourguignon is a proper hug in a bowl. And just look at how tender this meat is."
Recipe and response
Dean's video has racked up more than 48,400 views, attracting 1,320 likes and 17 comments at the time of writing. One commenter, Lily, said: "Mine's in the slow cooker as we speak, smells amazing." Another wrote: "Looks so good, I'm going to give that a try." Di commented, "Right up my street this," while another agreed, "Looks bloody lovely."
To replicate the dish at home, the recipe serves four and includes 700g beef cheeks cubed, one tbsp corn flour, 300g shallots peeled, 150g baby carrots, 150g baby chestnut mushrooms, 100g smoked bacon lardons, two tbsp tomato puree, one tsp salt, one tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 100ml beef stock made from one beef stock pot and 100ml boiling water, and 100ml red wine.
Coat the beef cheeks in the corn flour and shake off excess. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker pot, stir to combine, then cook on low for nine hours. Serve alongside buttery mashed potatoes.
