To test out the electric crock pot in the house we are renting, I did the following yesterday. This recipe was completely made-up from nothing.
- two large potatoes, chopped a bit
- three medium onions, chopped a bit
- a bag of mini carrots
- a few strips of thick bacon, cut into chunks
- a cheap and nasty beef shin with a bit of meat on it
- cheap red wine, salt, pepper, bay leaf
Put the beef (with bone) at the bottom of the crock pot, then the vegetables, and cover with a 50/50 wine/water mix. Add bay leaf and plenty of salt and pepper. Leave on "high" setting for 6 hours (ie, go to work, work, and come home). Serve.
The meat, potatoes, and carrots came out really well, particularly the meat, which came out like it does in Boeuf Bourguignon. However, the liquid comes out very thin, and I could not bring myself to add cornstarch (as many on-line recipes suggest). I think when I eat the leftovers, I might make a roux with the fat, and turn the liquid into a thin gravy. Will that work?
You could also just reduce it... and swirl in some demi-glace. :-)
ReplyDeleteBest stewing beef is chuck (shoulder) and best pot roast is blade (cross section of shoulder blade looks like a "7").
How long did you cook the stew? I do stew, beef bourguignon, etc. for a total of 3 hours in the over at 250, which would suggest 9 hours on low in most slow cookers.
You don't mention browning anything at any point. This has got to be a big flavour hit.
ReplyDeleteNext time, render off some bacon fat, salt&pepper the beef and brown it deeply in a frypan in the fat. Deglaze the fond with your wine (try a Pinot Noir), i.e. scrape up the brown bits in the pan.
You hardly need any liquid to braise in a crock pot since so little is lost to evaporation.
I just noticed the "6 hours". You have a 6 hour work day?... (look who's talking)
I didn't brown the meat simply because I wanted to try the most minimal possible recipe. That's also why I didn't reduce it at the end. But I agree with both ideas; I will try reducing the liquid before I serve the leftovers.
ReplyDeleteps. Dude, six hours is a long day!
ReplyDeleteJust ate the leftovers, after reducing the liquid by half. It was much, much better. (The time sitting in the 'fridge probably didn't hurt either.)
ReplyDelete