Cow

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients

  • 5-6 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 12-inch pieces
  • 14 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
  • 1 pound baby carrots, cut in half
  • 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 12 teaspoons thyme
  • 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Instructions

  1. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook half of beef until well browned all over, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to slow cooker and repeat with addition 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.  
  2. Add onions, 1 tablespoon oil, and 14 teaspoon salt to now empty skillet and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes.  Slow stir in broth, soy sauce, and bay leaves and bring to boil.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker.  Add tapioca and stir well.  
  3. Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes, remaining oil, thyme, 12 teaspoon salt, and 12 teaspoon pepper in large bowl.  Place vegetables on one side of large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Fold foil over vegetables to form packet that will fit in slow cooker.  Crimp edges to seal.  Place foil packet on top of beef.  
  4. Cover and cook on HIGH until beef is tender, 6 to 7 hours, or cook on LOW 10 to 11 hours.  Uncover, carefully open foil packet, and allow vegetables and accumulated liquid to slide into slow cooker.  Stir in peas and cover.  Let stand 5 minutes or until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper, remove bay leaves when you find them, and serve.  

Comments

This recipe is from Cook’s Country.  I actually don’t like beef stew.  Really.  But I went through a period where I was craving it for some unknown reason.  I’d wake up in the morning and think, “man, I want beef stew.”  So I finally broke down and found a recipe.  This recipe in fact.  I’ve made it three times since.  This is pretty much the tastiest thing I’ve put in my mouth involving braised beef.  Amazing stuff.  I can’t recommend it enough.  You need to make this.  

What makes this so great is that the vegetables still retain their own taste and a lot of texture, since they’re just steamed and not cooked into mush with the beef part of the stew.

Awesome Broccoli Beef

Ingredients
1 12 pounds flank steak, sirloin, or London broil cut into thin strips
1 12 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
7 tablespoons peanut oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
14 cup chicken broth

For the marinade
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin, dry sherry, or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
14 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
18 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Sriracha

For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons mirin, dry sherry, or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Sriracha

Instructions
1. Mix together marinade ingredients in medium bowl.  Add beef slices and stir until coated.  Let meat marinate while you prepare the rest of the recipe, or at least 10 minutes.  

2. Mix together sauce ingredients in small bowl.  

3. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately upon contact.  Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil to pan.  Add one third of beef to pan and spread beef out over the surface of the pan in a single layer.  Cook beef without stirring for 1 minute.  Flip and cook until browned then remove to plate.  Repeat with remaining beef.  

4. Reduce heat to medium-high and heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering.  Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add broccoli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Pour in 14 cup chicken broth.  Cover and cook for 2 minutes or until broccoli is tender crisp, stirring once.  

5. Return beef to pan and stir.  Push contents to side of pan and pour sauce into center of pan.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir beef and broccoli with sauce until coated.  

6. Serve with rice and extra Sriracha if desired.  

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Comments
This recipe is from Best Recipes Evar.  While it calls for a lot of ingredients, they’re ones that you’ll probably have on hand if you do any amount of Asian cooking and if you prepare things ahead of time, you’ll be good to go.  This was a tasty recipe and came together very easily.

Asian Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (I use Sriracha.)
1 14 cups hoisin sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
Juice of 2 limes
8 ounces tomatoes, chopped (canned is fine)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hamburger buns, toasted
Lettuce or cabbage, shredded

Instructions
1. Heat Dutch oven, or other large pot, over high heat.  Add oil.  Once oil is hot, add onions, garlic, ginger, celery, and hot sauce.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 2 minutes.  Add hoisin sauce and cook 1 minute.  Add beef and pork and continue cooking, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Add lime juice, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture has thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.  

2. Serve sloppy joes with shredded lettuce or cabbage on toasted rolls.  

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Comments
This recipe is from Project Foodie and originally from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals by Ming Tsai.  I actually own this cookbook, but I’m not a huge fan of Ming Tsai’s recipes so it’s not something I turn to.  This recipe, however, was very tasty.  It made a ton of food and I ended up freezing half of it – it’s still tasty, even after freezing.

Mexican Pizzas

Ingredients
8 medium tortillas (I used burrito-sized ones, fajita-size ones might work better.)
1 pound ground beef
Taco seasoning of choice (I like Bayless’s seasoning pouches for this and the enchilada sauce.)  
1 (14 ounce) can refried beans (I like the vegetarian ones.)
1 cup enchilada sauce
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
Toppings as desired, such as lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, etc.  

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat the tortillas, flipping frequently so they don’t burn until they are crisp.  Remove fried tortillas to plate.  

2. In same skillet, over medium heat, cook ground beef until well done.  Add taco seasoning and water if your taco seasoning calls for it.  Cook as instructed.  Add refried beans to skillet and cook until beans are warm and mixed through.  

3. Place two tortillas on baking sheet and spread 14 of the beef-bean mixture onto each tortilla.  Top with two more tortillas.  Pour 14 cup of enchilada sauce on top of each tortilla and spread with spatula.  Top each with 14 diced tomatoes, 14 cup cheese, and 14 green onions.  

4. Transfer to oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining ingredients.  Serve with desired toppings.  

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Comments
This recipe is from Domestic Superhero.  One of the problems with being so far behind with my blog posting, is that my memory is crummy and I don’t necessarily remember everything about a recipe I’ve made.  Oops.  

These were tasty, I tend to remember things that aren’t, and I used burrito shells which were a bit too large.  I should have used fajita shells instead.  I added ground beef to the original recipe and also doubled it to serve 4 instead of 2.  As mentioned, I used the Rick Bayless taco seasoning and enchilada sauce.  They’re super tasty.

Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients    
For the meatballs
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
12 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons coarse mustard
12 teaspoon white pepper
6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon milk
1 12 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 pound ground beef

For the meatballs and sauce
1 tablespoon butter
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
14 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon mustard
14 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 cup flat leaf parsley
1 cup beef broth, plus 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
1.  Mix all ingredients for meatballs except for ground beef in large bowl.  Add ground been and mix well to combine.  Using a disher/ice cream scoop, form meatballs. 

2. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides.  Transfer meatballs to plate.  Add onion to skillet and cook 1 minute before adding mushrooms and garlic.  Cook an addition 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. 

3. Add sriracha, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper, and parsley.  Cook for 1 minute then stir in 1 cup beef broth.  Add meatballs and simmer 5 minutes. 

4. In small bowl, mix together cornstarch with 3 tablespoons beef broth.  Pour into pan and stir well.  Simmer 3 to 5 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken. 

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Comments
This recipe is from the awesome Kayotic Kitchen.  The meatballs were nice and spicy, although maybe a teeny bit too spicy!  The sauce was great as well.  I thought this was going to be closer to stroganoff in flavor, but, due to the meatball seasoning, it was actually quite different.  In a good way!

Kheema Pav (Indian Sloppy Joes)

Ingredients
For the kheema
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
12 inch ginger, minced
12 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
12 teaspoon turmeric powder
12 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
2 pints small tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 pound ground beef or lamb
12 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
14 cup water
2-3 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste

For rolls
4-5 dinner or burger rolls
Butter
 
Instructions
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.  Once seeds start to sputter add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno.  Stir until fragrant.  Add onions and cook until softened, stirring often.  Add turmeric, chili powder, and ground coriander and stir well.  Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Stir in ketchup. 

2. Add meat, peas, garam masala, mint, and cilantro.  Stir until well combined and starting to brown then pour in water.  Cook until meat is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in green onions. 

3. Spread rolls with butter then toast until light golden brown.  Serve Kheema Pav on rolls. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Indonesiaeats and it was very delicious!  I love sloppy joe type meals using completely different flavor profiles than what I’m used to and this certainly fit the bill.  This isn’t as wet as American sloppy joes are, so be prepared for that.  I made it with ground beef, since I’ve got a ton that I’m trying to use up.

Parsley Peppercorn Beef Patties

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
34 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
13 cup beef or chicken broth
13 cup half and half
 
Instructions
1. Combine beef, garlic, parsley, and salt and form into small patties. 

2. Sprinkle patties with pepper on both sides and press to adhere.  Let patties rest 15 minutes. 

3. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Sear patties until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 

4. Add broth to skillet and scrape with wood spoon to loosen any browned bits.  Add half and half and stir.  Return patties to skillet and simmer over low heat until patties are cooked to desired doneness and sauce has reduced a bit, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Beyond Kimchee.  It was tasty enough, but I think we all would have liked more flavor in the patties themselves.

Asian Meatballs

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the sauce
13 cup hoisin sauce
13 cup sugar or honey
14 cup rice vinegar
14 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F. 

2. Mix together beef, Worcestershire, and sesame oil in bowl.  Shape mixture into meatballs.  Grease baking sheet with olive oil, place meatballs on sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. 

3. While meatballs are baking, whisk together hoisin sauce, sugar or honey, rice vinegar, ketchup, and sesame oil in large bowl. 

4. Transfer meatballs to bowl and toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Eat Good 4 Life.  I served these with a noodle dish and thought they were fantastic.  The sauce from these meatballs went very well with the noodles and it was fantastic.  These meatballs had a lot of flavor and we all enjoyed them.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Ingredients
5 cloves garlic
12 medium onion
Juice of 12 lime
1-4 chipotles in adobo (I used one, I should go to 1 12 or 2 next time.)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground oregano
12 teaspoon ground cloves
3 pounds beef rump roast, large pieces of fat trimmed and removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups frozen corn
Flour tortillas
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Place garlic, onion, lime juice, chipotles, cumin, oregano, and cloves into mini processor and puree. 

2. Cut beef into 4-inch chunks.  Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer beef to slow cooker and add spice puree, bay leaves, and water. 

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. 

4. Remove beef from slow cooker with a slotted spoon and transfer to bowl.  Shred with two forks.  Remove all but 1 cup liquid from slow cooker and return beef to pot with remaining 1 cup liquid.  Cover and cook on LOW for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  (If you’ve got a slow cooker that has a stovetop setting, switch it over to low and simmer uncovered instead.) 

5. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add corn and sauté until it begins to brown.  Remove from heat. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Bless This Food.  There’s a story behind the choosing of this recipe.  When Art was picking meats for the week he picked out a rump roast.  I said, “Are you sure?  You don’t like braised meat and that’s the way to prepare that cut.”  And he said, “Well, I was thinking about that, and I like barbacoa sometimes at Chipotle, so maybe you could make that?”  So I did!  And he loved it!  I was shocked.  Next time I’ll make Pot Roast to see if he is really cured of his dislike of braised beef. 

I served this with Cilantro Lime Rice and it was quite delicious.

Beef and Bean Burritos

Ingredients
For the rice
3 cups chicken or beef broth
1 12 cups rice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
12 cup fresh cilantro, minced

For the beef and bean filling
12 cup chicken or beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon lime juice
34 teaspoon salt

For assembly
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 tablespoons sour cream
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Instructions
1. For the rice, bring broth, rice, garlic, and salt to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add cilantro, fluff rice with fork, cover, and set aside.  (If you prefer, you can do this step in the rice cooker, just use the correct amount of liquid that your cooker calls for based on the amount of rice.)

2. Meanwhile, combine broth and half of beans in medium bowl. Using potato masher, coarsely mash beans together with broth. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef, breaking up pieces with spoon, and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Stir mashed bean mixture into meat mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining whole beans, lime juice, and salt. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside. 

4. Once rice has finished cooking, combine beef and bean filling, rice, cheese, and sour cream in large bowl (or in the skillet if it is large enough). 

5. Wrap filling in tortillas and enjoy!

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Comments
This recipe is from Cook’s Country 2013 and I made it during one of our burrito-heavy weeks.  These were really delicious and the filling ended up being enough for more than just four burritos.  The leftovers were scrumptious as well!