Tailgaters' Favorite Stew

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and crumble. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Drain off all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) fat from pan, reserving remainder. On a plate, combine flour, salt and peppercorns. Dredge beef in mixture until coated, discarding any excess. Add beef to pan, in batches, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more bacon drippings between batches if necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware as completed. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, celery and carrots to pan and cook, stirring, until carrots are softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaves, nutmeg and orange zest and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add barley and tomato paste and stir well. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. DO AHEAD: Complete Step 3, heating 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in pan before softening the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you're ready to cook, complete the recipe. Transfer to stoneware. Add broth and water and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Stir in reserved bacon, orange juice and cayenne. Cover and cook for 10 minutes to meld flavors.