The Great American Slow Cooker Book (21 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
1
Stir the beef, broth, ale, carrots, turnips, celery, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, allspice, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is tender.
3
Stir in the tomato paste and vinegar just before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Rich and well stocked, this beef soup will work best if you truly dice the chuck into tiny bits, no more than ¼ inch each. Also, cut off most of the large pieces of surface fat as you dice the meat.
•
Dice the veggies into small pieces of equivalent size. You want lots of different things on the spoon with every slurp.
•
A brown ale gives the stew a little bitter taste, which is up our alley but maybe not everyone’s. The porter offers a sweeter finish.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium beef broth
2 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp olive oil
½ pound beef top round, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and diced
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tblsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium beef broth
3 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tblsp olive oil
1 pound beef top round, cut into 1-inch cubes
¾ pound yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and diced
1½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
2½ tsp dried oregano
½ tblsp dried basil
½ tblsp minced garlic
¾ tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium beef broth
⅓ cup no-salt-added tomato paste
1½ tblsp olive oil
1½ pounds beef top round, cut into 1-inch cubes
1¼ pounds yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and diced
3 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ tblsp dried oregano
1 tblsp dried basil
1 tblsp minced garlic
1¼ tsp ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1
Whisk the broth and tomato paste in the cooker until smooth.
2
Set a large skillet over the medium heat for a few minutes. Swirl in the oil, then add some of the beef pieces, just enough to keep about ½-inch space between them. Brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to the slow cooker and continue browning more as necessary.
3
Add the potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, basil, garlic, pepper, and bay leaves to the cooker. Stir well, then cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meat and potatoes are tender. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
For more intense flavor, pour about ½ cup red wine into the skillet when you’re done browning the beef, crank the heat up to high, and boil the wine down to a thick glaze, scraping everything brown off the bottom of the pan. Stir the sauce into the cooker with the other ingredients.
•
Flavors can dull during cooking. If desired, stir up to 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar into the stew before serving.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
5 HOURS/7 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS THROUGH STEP 1
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 ounces beef bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
3 tblsp julienned peeled fresh ginger
1½ tblsp fish sauce
1½ tblsp packed dark brown sugar
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
1 star anise
8 ounces wide rice noodles
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound beef bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
¼ cup julienned peeled fresh ginger
2 tblsp fish sauce
2 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
2 star anise
12 ounces wide rice noodles
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
12 cups (3 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1½ pounds beef bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
6 tblsp julienned peeled fresh ginger
3 tblsp fish sauce
3 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
2 4-inch cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
1 pound wide rice noodles
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1
Stir the broth, beef, shallots, ginger, fish sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and star anise in the slow cooker until the brown sugar dissolves. Cover and cook on high for 4½ hours or on low for 6½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
2
About 30 minutes before the soup is ready, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Set the noodles in a big bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink.
3
Stir the soaked noodles and cilantro into the soup. Cover and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes to heat through. Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
A fairly light soup, it’s a great Asian-inspired meal from your local grocery store.
•
We used chicken broth (rather than beef broth) for its cleaner, more straightforward flavor.
•
If the noodles sit in the colander too long, they’ll glom into a ball.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Fish sauce, a pungent condiment from Southeast Asia, is made from fermented fish parts and salt (and in better bottlings, a host of aromatics). Known as
nam pla
in Thai,
nuoc mam
in Vietnamese,
teuk trei
in Cambodian, and
patis
in Filipino,
it mellows beautifully when heated. If you have shellfish allergies or religious concerns, check the label since some bottlings include shellfish.
Serve It Up!
Garnish the bowls with bean sprouts.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
9 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ pound
flanken-style beef short ribs
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1½ cups cored and chopped red cabbage
1½ cups peeled and diced red beets
⅔ cup peeled and diced russet or other baking potato
⅓ cup chopped red onion
⅓ cup thinly sliced carrot
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
3 tblsp minced fresh dill fronds
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 pound
flanken-style beef short ribs
5 cups low-sodium beef broth
2½ cups cored and chopped red cabbage
2½ cups (about 1 pound) peeled and diced red beets
1⅓ cups peeled and diced russet or other baking potato
⅔ cup chopped red onion
⅔ cup thinly sliced carrot
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup minced fresh dill fronds
1½ tblsp sugar
1 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
1½ pounds
flanken-style beef short ribs
8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium beef broth
4 cups (about a 1-pound head) cored and chopped red cabbage
4 cups peeled and diced red beets
2 cups (about 10 ounces) peeled and diced russet or other baking potato
1 cup (about 1 medium) chopped red onion
1 cup (about 3 medium) thinly sliced carrot
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup minced fresh dill fronds
2 tblsp sugar
½ tblsp ground cloves
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1
Mix the short ribs, broth, cabbage, beets, potato, onion, carrot, vinegar, dill, sugar, cloves, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on low for 9 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender. The bones will have fallen apart as the soup cooks; fish out the bare or almost-bare ones before serving, taking care to shred any straggling meat off them before discarding them.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
All those bones add up to lots of flavor in this old-fashioned deli soup!
•
If you can’t find flanken-style or cross-cut short ribs, you can use the more common English-cut short ribs. The meat will be in larger chunks and may need up to 2 additional hours on low to get tender.
with red peppers and hominy
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
3½ HOURS/8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium beef broth
½ pound boneless pork loin, diced
1½ cups drained and chopped jarred roasted red peppers (pimientos)
1 cup drained and rinsed canned hominy
¾ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 tblsp fresh lime juice
1 tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium beef broth
¾ pound boneless pork loin, diced
2½ cups drained and chopped jarred roasted red peppers (pimientos)
1½ cups drained and rinsed canned hominy
1 cup chopped yellow onion
6 tblsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
3 tblsp fresh lime juice
1½ tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
½ tblsp ground black pepper
¾ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium beef broth
1¼ pounds boneless pork loin, diced
4 cups drained and chopped jarred roasted red peppers (pimientos)
2½ cups drained and rinsed canned hominy
1½ cups chopped yellow onion
⅔ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
⅓ cup fresh lime juice
2½ tblsp minced fresh oregano leaves
2½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1
Mix the broth, pork loin, roasted red peppers, hominy, onion, cilantro, lime juice, oregano, pepper, and salt in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on high for 3½ hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the pork is tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Sort of like southwestern posole, a pork-and-hominy stew, this recipe offers gigantic flavors without much work. And it freezes well, sealed in containers for up to 4 months. (After thawing and reheating, squeeze a little lime juice over each serving to refresh the flavors.)
•
The soup needs fresh herbs, not dried, to give it a lighter flavor.
Serve It Up!
Top each bowl with diced avocado.
with cinnamon and potatoes
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 HOURS 15 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 2
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 tblsp toasted sesame oil
1 pound bone-in country-style
pork ribs
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and quartered
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup dry sherry
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tblsp slivered peeled garlic
1 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 tblsp toasted sesame oil
1½ pounds bone-in country-style
pork ribs
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
¾ pound medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup dry sherry
6 tblsp packed light brown sugar
1½ tblsp slivered peeled garlic
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ tblsp toasted sesame oil
2¾ pounds bone-in country-style
pork ribs
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1½ pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup dry sherry
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
2½ tblsp slivered peeled garlic
3 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
1
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then swirl in the oil (or part of the oil if you need to brown in batches). Add 2 or 3 country-style ribs, just to make sure there’s no crowding in the skillet. Brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer them to the slow cooker and continue browning more ribs as necessary, using more oil as needed.