Crockpot Beef Stew

Servings: 4 (1.25 cups each)

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 4 hours hrs 15 min on high, or 8 hours on low

Total:  4 hours hrs 30 min or 8 hours 30 min

 Ingredients

• 1 lbs. red potatoes, diced ($2.40)
• 0.5 yellow onion, diced ($0.37)
• 1.5 carrots, sliced ($0.44)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced ($0.44)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
• 0.75 lbs. beef stew meat ($11.24)
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.03)
• 0.13 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 0.13 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
• 1 cups beef broth ($0.27)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.13)
• 0.5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.06)
• 0.5 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
• 0.75 tsp brown sugar ($0.02)
• 0.75 tsp dried rosemary ($0.15)
• 0.75 tsp dried thyme ($0.15)

1. Dice the onion and red potatoes. Slice the carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Place the prepared vegetables in a four or five-quart slow cooker.
2. Place the stew meat in a bowl and sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over top. Toss the meat until it's evenly coated in flour.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom. Stir and then allow the beef to brown on a second side. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
4. Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium-low. Add the broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium-low until all the browned bits have dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.
5. Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker and everything a good stir.
6. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
7. After cooking the meat and vegetables should both be tender. Stir the stew well to allow the potatoes to slightly break down and thicken the gravy. Taste the stew and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

 

A hearty, savory slow cooker stew with potatoes, carrots, celery, broth, herbs and spices. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions:

Step 1:  Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

Step 2:  Cover, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for 4 hours.

Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

This is very rich.  I would add potatoes to this next time. 

 INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 pound salt pork, diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 2 cups beef stock * (1 cup for slow cooker)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons Pommery mustard or other whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered
• 1/4 cup red wine

PREPARATION

1. Place salt pork in a Dutch oven over low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and discard. 
2. Raise heat, and add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.
3. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.
4. Add Cognac to the empty pot, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon Pommery mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat and onion mixture to pot. Lower heat, partly cover, and simmer gently until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until slices are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high, and sauté mushrooms until browned.
6. Stir mushrooms into stew along with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

For a slow-cooker version 

1. Place salt pork in a large sauté pan. Cook over low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and discard.  
2. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, then sear the  beef cubes in the fat. 
3. Into the slow cooker add seared beef, onions, shallots, carrots, mushrooms, red wine. 
4. Add Cognac to the empty pan, and deglaze. Add 1 cup stock, 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp. Pommery mustard. Transfer to the slow cooker. 
5. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 
6. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons Pommery mustard and warm through before serving.

From NY Times Food Section

Stir-Fried Beef and Bok Choy with Ginger

Prep Time: 20 minutes   Cook Time: 10 minutes   Servings: 4

Winter produces the crispest, crunchiest cabbages of the year, and bok choy is no exception. Pair it with thinly sliced flank steak, and season with a few simple but bold seasonings. Serve this quick and hearty stir-fry with wide rice noodles or steamed brown rice, if you like.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. dry sherry

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. Asian chile paste

1 lb. (500 g) baby bok choy

2 tsp. peanut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs. grated peeled fresh ginger

1 lb. (500 g) flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the sherry, soy sauce and chile paste. Cut the bok choy lengthwise into halves or quarters, depending on size.

In a wok or a large fry pan over high heat, warm 1 1/2 tsp. of the oil. Add the bok choy and stir-fry just until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Warm the remaining 1/2 tsp. oil in the wok. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant but not browned, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the beef and cook, stirring, just until no longer pink, about 2 minutes.

Return the bok choy to the wok, add the sherry mixture and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Recipe on williams-sonoma.com

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma One Pot of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2012).

Santa Maria-Style Pot Roast

Pot roast is a holiday staple, and this rendition—heartily seasoned with traditional spices—makes for a flavorful centerpiece for your meals this season.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 
  
  2 tablespoons (30 g) sea salt
• 
  
  1 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  
  1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 
  
  1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 
  
  ½ teaspoon sugar
• 
  
  3 pounds (1.5 kg) boneless chuck roast
• 
  
  2 tablespoons (29 ml) olive oil
• 
  
  3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (25-mm) pieces
• 
  
  3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half and then quartered
• 
  
  2 cups (473 ml) beef broth

Instructions:

1. Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and sugar, and rub over both sides of the roast.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan large enough for the pot roast, over medium heat, and then sear the roast on both sides for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned.
3. Place the carrots and potatoes in a 6-quart (6-L) slow cooker, and place the roast on top. Add the beef broth, being careful not to pour it over the top of the roast and wash off the seasonings.
4. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart.

Cover and book design by Page Street Publishing Co. Photography by Erica Allen

Reprinted with permission from Holiday Slow Cooker by Leigh Anne Wilkes, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017.