Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (22 page)
2
Stir in the broth, potatoes, soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, and garlic in the slow cooker until the brown sugar dissolves. Tuck the cinnamon sticks and star anise into the soup. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
3
Discard the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cool for a few minutes. (Keep the soup covered and cooking on low.) Shred the meat off the bones; discard the bones and any pieces of fat or cartilage. Stir the meat back into the soup. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Modeled on a fairly traditional Chinese braise, this soup has quite a heavy dose of aromatics.
•
If you want to get more authentic, substitute Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) for the dry sherry. Look for it at larger supermarkets, in all Asian grocery stores, and from suppliers online.
Serve It Up!
Sprinkle rice vinegar over the soup in the bowls.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
5½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS THROUGH STEP 1
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound boneless pork loin, cut into thin matchsticks
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
3 tblsp rice vinegar
3 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp
sambal oelek
1 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp cornstarch
2 tblsp cold water
1 whole medium scallions, thinly sliced
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups (1 quart plus 2 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
¾ pound boneless pork loin, cut into thin matchsticks
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
¾ cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
⅓ cup rice vinegar
⅓ cup soy sauce
1½ tblsp
sambal oelek
1½ tblsp sugar
3 tblsp cornstarch
3 tblsp cold water
1½ whole medium scallions, thinly sliced
6- TO 8-QUART
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1¼ pounds boneless pork loin, cut into thin matchsticks
5 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1¼ cups thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
2½ tblsp
sambal oelek
2½ tblsp sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch
⅓ cup cold water
2 whole medium scallions, thinly sliced
1
Stir the broth, pork, carrots, mushrooms, vinegar, soy sauce, sambal oelek, and sugar in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the pork is tender.
2
Whisk the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the soup. Add the scallions, stir one more time, cover, and continue cooking on high until hot and thickened, about 30 minutes.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You don’t need to rely on take-out for this favorite. Although not exactly authentic (no lily buds, no tofu, no complicated selection of mushrooms), the flavors are close enough to satisfy the needs of a weeknight meal.
•
If you want to make it ahead and save it either in the fridge or freezer, prepare the soup through step 1. Add the cornstarch slurry and scallions only when reheating on the stovetop; cover and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes, until thickened and hot.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To cut a pork loin into matchsticks, first slice it into ¼-inch rounds. Lay each round on your work surface and cut each circle into thin strips. Cut any long strips in half.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 2
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
10 ounces boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of any fat chunks and cut into ½-inch cubes; or lamb stew meat, diced
⅔ cup thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green part only), washed to remove interior grit
⅔ cup chopped carrots
½ cup
pearled barley
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of any fat chunks and cut into ½-inch cubes; or lamb stew meat, diced
1 cup (about ½ pound) thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green part only), washed to remove interior grit
1 cup (2 medium) chopped carrots
⅔ cup
pearled barley
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1¾ pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of any fat chunks and cut into ½-inch cubes; or lamb stew meat, diced
1⅔ cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green part only), washed to remove interior grit
1⅔ cups chopped carrots
1¼ cups
pearled barley
1¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1
Stir the broth, lamb, leeks, carrots, barley, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the lamb is tender.
3
Stir in the parsley just before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
You can’t beat this kind of meal, sometimes called Scotch broth—simple but comforting.
•
We used lamb shoulder because it’s often milder than leg of lamb and certainly easier to chop.
•
chicken broth remains a favorite for soups like this because it has a lighter finish and is milder than beef broth, and thus better pairing to the lamb.
•
If you happen to be at a farmers’ market and find goat shoulder, give it a whirl in place of the lamb.
Serve It Up!
Boil or steam peeled, medium, white potatoes until tender. Set one potato in each bowl and ladle the soup around it.
with beer and cilantro
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 9
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 tblsp cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Up to 1 jalapeño chiles, stemmed; also seeded if you want less heat
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 dark beer, 12-ounce bottles, such as porter or stout
⅓ cup chopped red onion
½ tsp salt
12 ounces boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces, or lamb stew meat, diced
3 medium yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and halved
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
3½ tblsp cider vinegar
2 tsp ground cumin
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Up to 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed; also seeded if you want less heat
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
2 dark beer, 12-ounce bottles, such as porter or stout
½ cup chopped red onion
¾ tsp salt
1½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces, or lamb stew meat, diced
6 medium yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and halved
6- TO 8-QUART
1½ cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
⅓ cup cider vinegar
1 tblsp ground cumin
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Up to 3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed; also seeded if you want less heat
9 cups (2 quarts plus 1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
3 dark beer, 12-ounce bottles, such as porter or stout
1 cup (about 1 medium) chopped red onion
1¼ tsp salt
2½ pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces, or lamb stew meat, diced
9 medium yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and halved
1
Place the cilantro, vinegar, cumin, garlic, and jalapeños in a large blender. Cover, whir a few seconds, scrape down the inside of the canister, and continue blending, adding just enough of the broth so that the mixture can become a smooth puree. Pour and scrape it into the slow cooker.
2
Stir in the remainder of the broth plus the beer, onion, and salt until fairly smooth (except for the onion and herb bits). Stir in the lamb and potatoes.
3
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the lamb and potatoes are tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
The amount of heat in this soup is a matter of personal taste. Just remember that a slow cooker digests the spice in chiles; you may be able to stand more than you think. That said, err on the side of caution the first time you prepare this dish: you can always pass pickled jalapeño rings at the table for garnish.
•
The porter will be a sweeter beer, better to balance the chiles and cilantro. A thick stout gives the soup a lot of body and a more sophisticated flavor. (Just don’t use a flavored stout.)
Serve It Up!
Serve this soup in a
Bread Bowl:
Buy small boules or round Tuscan loaves. Cut off the tops and use your fingers to pull out the doughy insides, leaving a 1-inch shell all around the bowl. Fill the bread with the soup but serve it in a bowl, just in case there’s structural failure.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS BEFORE STEP 3
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 ounces slab bacon, diced
1 large yellow onions, chopped
3 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 cup bottled clam juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1¾ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¼ pound red-skinned potatoes, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 cups minced shucked, raw clams
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 ounces slab bacon, diced
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 medium celery ribs, chopped
1½ cups bottled clam juice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
½ pound red-skinned potatoes, diced
½ tblsp dried thyme
½ tblsp dried oregano
¾ tsp ground black pepper
3 cups minced shucked, raw clams
6- TO 8-QUART
10 ounces slab bacon, diced
2 large yellow onions, chopped
6 medium celery ribs, chopped
2½ cups bottled clam juice
5 cups (1 quart plus 1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
4½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ pound red-skinned potatoes, diced
2½ tsp dried thyme
2½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
5 cups minced shucked, raw clams
1
Fry the bacon bits in a medium skillet set over medium heat until brown and crisp, stirring often, from 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the slow cooker.
2
Fry the onions and celery in the bacon fat in the skillet, still set over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, between 5 and 9 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.
3
Stir in the clam juice, broth, tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, oregano, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
4
Stir in the clams. Cover and continue cooking on low for 1 hour, or until the clams and potatoes are tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Manhattan clam chowder is tomato-based.
•
We peeled the potatoes in the New England Clam Chowder (below) because we wanted the soup to be creamy white. Since there are already tomatoes in this mix, we don’t have to go to the trouble.
SHORTCUTS
Look for shucked (sometimes chopped) clams in the refrigerator section of the fish counter, or look for tubs of it in the freezer case.
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
35 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 HOURS/8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 4
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 thin strips of bacon
1 small yellow onion, chopped
½ medium celery ribs, chopped;
10 ounces red-skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅔ cup bottled clam juice
1⅓ cups evaporated milk (regular or low-fat)
3 tblsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp dried thyme
Up to ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1⅓ cups minced shucked, raw clams
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 thin strips of bacon
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
2 cups evaporated milk (regular or low-fat)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp dried thyme
Up to ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups minced shucked, raw clams
6- TO 8-QUART
10 thin strips of bacon
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1½ medium celery ribs, chopped
1½ pounds red-skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups (1 quart plus 1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
1¾ cups bottled clam juice
2½ cups evaporated milk (regular or low-fat)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp dried thyme
Up to ¾ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2½ cups minced shucked, raw clams