Don Mauer's Slow-Cooker Lean Beef Bourguignon

¾ cup all-purpose whole-wheat flour

2 pounds beef top round roast (preferably grass-fed, organic) cut across the grain into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

4 lean bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups red wine (I used Chianti)

8 ounces baby-cut organic carrots

1 medium red or yellow onion, sliced ¼-inch thick

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 cup low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth)

1 medium bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

8 ounces white button mushrooms, washed, dried and quartered

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a large bowl, add cubes to the flour and stir to coat evenly. Shake off the excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Add a little of the olive oil to a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden, stirring once in a while. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off most of the bacon fat, add the remaining olive oil and heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, lightly brown the beef cubes on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Add the wine to pan and scrape up all the brown bits. Pour into the slow cooker. Add carrots, onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Add beef cubes, broth, bacon, bay leaf, thyme and mushrooms. Cover. Set on low setting for 7 hours. Do not uncover.

At the end of the time, uncover and sample a carrot, if it's soft, the stew is ready. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Serve.

Serves five.

Nutrition values per serving: 458 calories (27.4 percent from fat), 13.9 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 21.9 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g fiber, 44 g protein, 98 mg cholesterol, 740 mg sodium.

SaltSense: Omitting the added salt reduces the sodium per serving to 275 mg per serving.