I really can’t take any credit here, the crock-pot did it. Or should I say, didn’t do it. Actually, it is my fault I didn’t follow the recipe. In my defense, I rarely if ever follow any recipe.
As everyone knows I bought a crock-pot a few weeks ago and came up with this, Is it a crock, or not? I’m finding more crock than not. I’m okay with it now, it’s become the Zen of failing or not having much control over what I cook, it feels good. Last week April mentioned something about wanting to have a decent beef stew recipe for her crock-pot, but didn’t want to end up browning the meat first, translucentizing the veggies and whatever else took place outside of the pot. Me being the Meat Buffoon that I can be, decided to break the rules and try making a beef stew by putting everything in the crock-pot without doing anything to it. Just to see what I came up with, basically reinventing the wheel. Sure I could have done the typical “research” on the internets, but couldn’t be bothered.
I did something really silly, this time, for this recipe. I knew the flour would need to be a part of the ingredient list for the subtle thickish sauce that we all crave in any good stew. But I wasn’t going to take the time to brown anything and end up cleaning a 35 pound cast iron fry pan in the process. All I wanted to clean was a knife and a cutting board, that was it. Um, so I dredged the meat in flour, then just plopped the meat in along with everything else. I did do one thing I was pretty impressed with, pre-heated the crock-pot. Add liquid and turn the sucker on, brilliant!
Ingredients:
Beef Stew Meat – 2 pounds (make bite sized or not, don’t matter. Looks like you get 50%+ shrinkage anyway).
A.P. Flour – 1/2 cup (makes a nice mess on your fingers and in your kitchen)
Onion – 1 Yellow er White – (I like the white ones)
Carrots – 4 – Peel & Slice
Celery – 3 – Peel a little of the ribbing and slice
Fresh Garlic – All you want (I did 5 big cloves)
Bay Leaves – 1 or 2 (I didn’t have any, so didn’t use them)
Salt – Kosher (add it)
Fresh ground black pepper – Grind it (add it)
Worchestershire Sauce – 1 tsp?
Chicken broth – 3/4 cup
Good hearty red wine – 1/4 cup
Note: Mess with whatever you want, but I suggest keeping the liquid amounts there.
Huh, lookie there. Sounds like a great beef soup recipe, don’t it?
After it was done, put a colander over a large pot and separated the bits from the juice. Used a fat separator thingy on the juice, put to stove and jacked the heat a bit. I reduced it until it tasted … flippen fantastic ! Woot. Reinstalled everything together and let cool, install to fridge for the next day.
Keeripes, that was most excellent. Both Z and I tore in to it like to rabid 3-legged weevils. So, I made beef soup. Duh. The flavors and textures were a lot more complex than one might think after so many hours and so little care, thought, effort. The small amount of wine added quite a bit of action to the final product, don’t leave that out.
xo, Biggles
MeatHenge
"If it ain't pork, it ain't sausage"
I have always been afraid to not brown the meat and end up with gray stuff. You got good color and consistency.Nicely done sir.
Oh, cool, we’re all making the same thing today – you, me, Cookiecrumb! Winter fare. Perfect.
Oh, slurp! Why do I think I’m a flexitarian, when I see this stuff and drool?
(Beef chez nous today, too.)
Looks like this one’s a hit. Made corned beef and cabbage in mine the other day. Confused the h-ll out of DH. He knew it wasn’t St Patty’s Day yet. Would love to get your take on pressure cookers, eh?
Wonderful pic! And fantastic to hear your results. I, too, have always been a bit fearful of not browning meat first before rendering it toward another adventure. Can’t believe you actually gained excellent results with just coating the meat with flour and turning it in with its neighbor veggies. You are amazing, as ever!
Hi Everyone and thank you!
Hi Babs!
Hey Cathi, the reason I don’t have a pressure cooker is no longer an issue. So, will probably start on that trek soon. My brother inlaw has one and uses it alla time and loves it. I can hardly wait!
Biggles
I’ve seen slow cooker stew thickened with either a)cornstarch or b)tapioca pearls. Just a thought.
Hey Ricki,
Yeah, there’s also rice flour and a few other items. Some you add at the beginning, and some you add at the end. I could have added the cornstarch when I separated the juice from the bits and defatted. Simmer/reduce and it would have done it. I’m lazy?
Biggles
…small amount of wine added quite a bit of action to the final product Duh.(lol)You mean you actually cook things without wine!? Looks good, jack. See it’s not the crock pots fault – it was all those 1970’s cooks with their fondue forks that gave crock pots a bad name.
That sure looks good Doctor. Just a quick question. Did you actualy eat the vegetables?
Mebbe, what’s it to ya?
That spud ain’t a vegetable, it’s a dairy product!
Shaw !!! After I got done with it, it surely was.
Biggles
Rev
Leave out the flour and dice up a potato or two real small. It’ll basically dissolve during the long slow cook and thicken your sauce.
Works like a charm.
WhiteTrash
Hey Brooklyn,
Sheet fire, oh yeah huh. Taters are our friend.
Biggles
I found your food blog going through a few links. Glad I ran into it. Didn’t know that the food blog/recipe community was so big online. I love your posts!
I was wondering if you would like to exchange links. I’ll drop yours on my site and you drop mine on yours. Email at ramendays@yahoo.com or stop by my site and drop a comment. Let me know if you would like to do a link exchange.
Cheers,
Caleb
http://www.ramendays.com
Pioneer Woman posted a coupla beef recipes last week that would work great in the crock pot – thought you might enjoy, if you hadn’t already seen it: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/drip-beef-two-ways/
Hey Ricki,
Thank you! Boy oh boy, those look tasteeeee, crock pot or no.
Biggles