Slow cooker beef stew, recipe ideas wanted.

[Reynard]

Good quality skirt beef is your starting point for a top-notch Carbonnades Flamande aka Stoverij - none of your extra-lean muck, because that will end up dry and tasteless. The quality of a stew or casserole stands or falls on the quality of your meat. Don't skimp.

In a bowl, add a couple of heaped tablespoons of plain flour. Season very well with freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon and clove. Some allspice won't go amiss either. Toss your beef in the seasoned flour.

In a frying pan, heat up a glug of oil. Brown off your meat, a few pieces at a time (put too much in, and the meat will steam rather than brown), and put the browned pieces in your crock pot. Repeat until done. You may need to top up the oil a wee bit.

Add a little water into the pan, and deglaze. All those little "bits" stuck to the bottom is pure flavour. Chuck that into the crock pot.

Slice up two or three onions and add to the crock pot, along with a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, one crumbled beef or chicken stock cube and some mixed dried herbs.

Add enough liquid to barely cover. You can use either water (stock), beer or red wine, whatever pleases you, although a brown trappist beer is the most authentic.

Take a slice of bread and spread one side with mustard. Put the bread, mustard-side down on top of your meat, stock and onions. Cook on a low heat until the slice of bread has disintegrated. The bread will also serve to thicken the gravy.

Serve with chips and a chicory (endive) salad.

Smakelijk!

 

[classic33]

Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat
½ cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
2 heaping teaspoons beef demi-glace (or beef Swanson Flavor Boost)
4 medium to large red skinned potatoes, washed & diced
3 large carrots, peeled & sliced
1 stalk celery, diced

Directions
Shake the beef stew meat in a resealable plastic bag with the flour & seasoning salt until evenly coated. Heat the olive oil in a skillet; add the floured stew meat to the pan & brown on all sides. Remove using a slotted spoon or tongs & place into the bottom of a slow cooker.
Season with pepper.

Saute the diced onion in the same hot skillet for 2 minutes. Don’t worry about cleaning it out in between – that’s added flavor! Transfer the onions into the slow cooker as well. Pour the Worcestershire sauce, water, & beef demi glace (or Swanson Flavor Boost) into the skillet and whisk until mixed, making sure you scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat & set aside.

Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery, & bay leaves to the slowcooker. Now, pour the broth/Worcestershire mixture in the crockpot as well. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove the bay leaves before serving

 

[slowmotion]

You have got to add a few chopped-up anchovy fillets when frying the beef. It's criminal not to.

 

[T4tomo]

Take a slice of bread and spread one side with mustard. Put the bread, mustard-side down on top of your meat, stock and onions. Cook on a low heat until the slice of bread has disintegrated. The bread will also serve to thicken the gravy.

I've not tried that, but I might...

 

[MontyVeda]

My mother made a lovely one last week; just beef, potato, onion and carrots, no seasoning. She thickened up the liquid with gravy granules at the end.

Mine will have the above, plus swede, white cabbage, parsnip, a beef stock cube and maybe a tea spoon of horseradish sauce and grainy mustard.

I personally don't bother searing the beef first. I don't see the point.

 

[dicko]

Diced beef, carrots, parsnip, sliced onions, garlic and small potatoes one litre of beef gravy and cooked in a slow cooker for eight hours. One hour before serving mix up dumpling mix in small balls and place on top the mix. Have some granary bread slices to dip in the gravy. Goes well with red wine.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Good advice above. I particularly agree with @T4tomo on coating the meat in flour before browning to thicken.

If course there will be lots of conflicting advice. In this case everyone can be right

Whole button mushrooms go nice in a beef stew. At least I think they do.

You may find yourself thinking "this is way too much onion" when you prepare them. Resist this line of thought! the onions are vital and will magically disappear as they cook down. You need more than you might imagine.

Also, do it the day before. I always think that a stew is nicer the next day.

 

[fossyant]

How was the stew @Dave7

 

[Dave7]

How was the stew @Dave7

I was going to update on that.
First, many thanks to all for all the suggestions.
It was/is a great success.
I picked and chose between all the suggestions eg I just don't like turnip or swede.
For spice I went with paprika, cumin and black pepper.
I also added red lentils (never used them before).
Granddaughter had a bowl of it last night and confessed to stealing another bowl for lunch today, so that meant a lot.
I am having another bowl for tea later.

 

[fossyant]

Winner winner, beef stew dinner !

 

[fossyant]

Mine has been on the hob since lunch in a massive cook pot. Will do two meals for four plus half a dozen tasty lunches for me. About an hour to go, but regular stirring now as it thickens up. Two crusty cobs to go with it.

 

[Dave7]

Mine has been on the hob since lunch in a massive cook pot. Will do two meals for four plus half a dozen tasty lunches for me.

It must be a REALLY MASSIVE pot to do that many meals