Monday, December 10, 2012

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

There are so many beef stew recipes out there but I like to stick to the basics when it comes to an old fashioned hit like this.
While this is a slow cooker recipe, I do take the time to brown the meat and sweat the onions prior to putting in the cooker.  It takes 10 minutes and the results are worth it.  I promise.
I made this stew the other day on a day when we were going on an outdoor outing.  Coming home to this delicious, hearty, hot stew was the perfect touch to a cold day.  It warms you from the inside out, what is better than that on a snowy cold day?! 

Some quick notes:
  • Feel free to mix up veggies for whatever you like, parsnips are nice, peas, beans etc.
  • A good crusty loaf of bread goes perfect with this, you'll want something to sop up all the yummy broth at the end
  • I generally deglaze with some red wine, however I did not have any this day so I didn't include it in the recipe.  You can go just broth or deglaze with 1/2 C red wine.
  • You can add the potatoes at the beginning if you like.  I don't like them to get too soft so I wait.  Also you can chop the potatoes into larger chunks so they cook slower to avoid any mushy potatoes.
  • Do not crowd the pan when browning the beef.  If pan is too crowded beef with steam and not brown.  Brown in batches.
  • A slow cooker liner will save you a ton of clean up at the end.  I highly recommend using one.





Ingredients:


1.5 lb stew meat, cut into bite size chunks
3 T flour
3 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or a fresh thyme bundle)
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced (if greens are attached, chop em and use em there's alot of flavor in them)
2 C beef broth or stock
1 can whole kernel corn
salt and pepper

Recipe:

  • Place flour in ziploc bag (or use a bowl), season with salt and pepper.  Place beef in bag and toss to coat with flour.
  • Heat oil in skillet, add beef, being careful not to crowd the pan, do it in batches if necessary.  When browned on both sides (about 6 minutes) add to slow cooker.
  • In same skillet, add the butter, onions and garlic.  Cook about 3 minutes until onion is soft.  Deglaze pan with wine if using, or by adding all the beef broth. Add worstershire. Stir with a rubber spatula being careful to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (there's alot of flavor in there).  Cook about 5 minutes and then add to crock pot.
  • Add carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme to cooker. (Add potatoes if not able to do it an hour before)
  • Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
  • 1 hour before serving add potatoes and can of corn.
  • Remove bay leaf
Serve with bread and enjoy.

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