Main Course Mainstay

I've actually forgotten just how many times we have had this recipe over the course of the winter. It's so good, it just never seems to get old. And despite us putting only one animal in the freezer this year, we have found that when it's an elk, it's like having an entire cow in there! Lazy as we were, we cut most of it into stew meat and roasts, both of which will work well in this recipe. So get out your, deer, elk or beef roast/stew meat and try it out. It's guaranteed to bring you back to everything that is comforting, warming and in all honesty, the best of home cooking.

Beef Bourguignon Soup

(And NO, I can't actually say the name even after 4 years of highschool French. GO figure. We'll have to head to France next year. I'll be complaining about that! Let me tell you.)

2 lb roast, cut in 1" pieces or stew meat

4 Tbsp flour

Olive oil to sear meat, or some bacon grease from a couple slices of bacon

8 oz button mushrooms

3 carrots, sliced in 1/2"

3 shallots, sliced (substitute leeks or just a yellow onion if you need to)

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

3 Thyme sprigs, or more (I use half of one of those things you buy at the store. Fresh is key though. And don't bother chopping Thyme. It's for the birds. Just throw the whole sprigs in there. The leaves will cook off and the little twigs are easy enough to fish out before you serve it.)

2 bay leaves

1 cup red wine (Trader Joe's Baby! Don't leave this out!)

8 cups beef stock (this is a soup so you will want something tasty. It should be a good quality)

Turn your crock pot on high.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and then toss the meat to coat. Sear meat in a cast iron pan or pot in either bacon grease or olive oil in batches and throw into your crock pot.

Next, without cleaning the pan, add a bit more olive oil and saute the carrots, onion and celery. Throw into the crock pot.

Saute the mushrooms for maybe 4 minutes then pour in the wine. Let it reduce for maybe 6 min. You guessed it, throw it all into the crock pot.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot and cook on high until the meat starts to fall apart.

Serve it over rice or some cooked egg noodles. Add crusty bread and a glass of the 'ol red and you've got yourself a full and happy belly.