Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (26 page)

Sirloin marinated in Asian flavors and accompanied by sticky rice and an Asian slaw is the perfect dinner for friends and family. Marinate the meat the day before, put it all in the slow cooker, and inhale the delicious aromas of garlic, ginger, soy, and beef all day long.

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cup soy sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup rice wine (mirin)

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 2½- to 3-pound sirloin roast (tri-tip or triangle sirloin works well here)

2 cups beef broth

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water

Chopped green onions for garnishing

Sesame seeds for garnishing

combine the soy sauce, oil, rice wine, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Add the sirloin to the bag, seal, and turn to coat the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

pour the marinade and the meat into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the broth and onions. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

remove the meat from the insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Taste the sauce and dilute it with water or broth if it is too strong.

add the cornstarch mixture and bring the sauce back to a boil, whisking constantly, until it is thickened. Keep the sauce warm on the stovetop, or transfer it to the slow cooker set on warm.

slice the meat and serve with the sauce, and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.

serves 6–8

When tasting recipes for this book, my husband longed for a simple meat and potatoes dinner. I was so focused on flavor combinations and international flavors that I left traditional ones behind. So, Dr. Chuck, this one’s for you. We loved this served with crisp green beans dressed with extra-virgin olive oil.

One 2 ½- to 3-pound sirloin roast

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

3 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

24 golf ball–sized Yukon gold or red potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

sprinkle the roast evenly with 1½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.

transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onions and thyme to the same skillet and sauté until the onions begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the broth, Worcestershire, and potatoes to the cooker, surrounding the meat.

cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. Remove the meat and potatoes from the slow cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.

skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Put the butter and the flour in a small bowl and stir to form a paste.

bring the sauce to a boil and add the butter mixture in pieces to the sauce, bringing the sauce back to a boil after each addition. Season with salt and pepper.

slice the meat and serve napped with some of the sauce. Serve any additional sauce warmed on the side.

serves 6–8

Julia Child once remarked that Boeuf Bourguignon was the best beef stew known to man. By marinating the meat in the wine and spices ahead of time, your stew will have a deep flavor and the slow cooker will melt the meat into a tender and delicious dinner, giving you the whole day to relax. A classic French beef stew flavored with bacon or salt pork and garnished with mushrooms and small pearl onions, when done right, this is heaven on a plate. The slow cooker takes over with its low and slow braising and gives you a melt-in-your-mouth dinner. Make sure to serve with a crusty loaf of French bread to dip in the sauce.

4 cups Burgundy wine

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 pounds beef sirloin, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

One 15-ounce can double-strength beef broth

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound small white button mushrooms

½ pound pearl onions, blanched and peeled

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

combine the wine, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, honey, salt, and pepper in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Add the beef to the bag, seal, and turn to coat the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, turning the bag a few times during refrigeration.

remove the meat from the marinade and set the marinade aside, removing the bay leaf. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp and remove it to drain on paper towels. Add the meat to the bacon drippings and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the marinade to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and add the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the meat is tender. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until they begin to turn golden and the liquid in the pan is evaporated. Set aside until ready to serve. (The mushrooms and onions may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Stir the flour into the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to form a paste.

when the stew is finished cooking, skim off any fat from the top of the sauce and stir in the butter and flour mixture. Add the mushroom mixture, reserved bacon, and stir to combine. Cover and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thickened, before serving.

serves 8

The area around Santa Barbara on the central coast of California is famous for its tri-tip sirloin-roast barbecues, which date back to the days of the Spanish ranchers. Generally this cut is barbecued and thinly sliced to serve with warm flour tortillas and condiments. The slow cooker mimics a covered grill and braises this delicious cut of meat to perfection. This preparation requires a cut of meat that can be hard to find in some areas, but ask your butcher for the “triangle sirloin” or “bottom sirloin triangle cut.” If you have trouble finding it, 3-inch-thick top sirloin will work here. Just remember to slice the top sirloin thinly across the grain.

2 large onions, cut into half rounds

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon celery seeds

Two 1½- to 2-pound tri-tip roasts, fat trimmed, tied together with kitchen string or silicone loops

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup beef broth

spread the onions on the bottom of the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Combine the sugar, paprika, chile powder, garlic salt, and celery seeds in a small bowl. Rub the mixture evenly over the roasts.

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.

transfer the meat to the slow-cooker insert. Deglaze the skillet with the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

pour the broth over the meat in the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the meat is tender.

remove the meat from the slow cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest. Remove the strings from the meat. Slice the meat thinly against the grain and serve.

serves 8

My son Ryan was a fussy eater growing up, but he and his friends never could get enough of these sandwiches. They loved the slowly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth beef surrounded by the sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, especially when they could serve themselves from the slow cooker. I prefer tri-tip for this recipe because it’s so lean and flavorful, but you can use other sirloin cuts as well.

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1½ teaspoons salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Two 1½- to 2-pound tri tip roasts or one 3½- to 4-pound bottom sirloin roast, rolled and tied

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup molasses

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

8 Kaiser rolls or soft onion rolls

combine the paprika, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl, and rub the mixture evenly onto the roast. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.

transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet over medium-high heat and sauté until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

remove the strings from the meat and slice the meat across the grain. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Return the meat to the slow cooker set on warm, and serve on the rolls.

serves 8

Cafeteria versions of shepherd’s pie, with mystery meat shrouded in instant mashed potatoes, gave this delicious dish a bad rap. The best shepherd’s pie has tender chunks of beef or lamb and vegetables simmered in hearty gravy, and is covered with rich whipped potatoes. No powdered things, please! Cook the stew in the slow cooker, and then cover the top of the finished stew with the potatoes, which can be kept warm for 2 to 3 hours before serving without a problem.

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

2½ to 3 pounds beef sirloin, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

2 cups beef broth

3 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds

8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1½ cups frozen white corn, defrosted

Mashed Potatoes for Stews or Pot Pies (recipe follows; see savvy)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

combine the salt, pepper, and flour in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Toss the beef to coat in the flour and shake off any excess.

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

add the onion and thyme to the same skillet over mediumhigh heat and sauté until the onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

pour the mixture over the beef in the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the meat is tender. Add the vegetables to the stew and stir to combine. Cover the stew with the mashed potatoes, being careful not to push the potatoes into the stew.

dot the top of the potatoes with the butter. Cover and cook for an additional 1 hour, until the butter is melted.

serve the stew by scooping out a portion covered with mashed potatoes for each diner.

serves 8

not-so-shepherd’s-pie savvy

If you would prefer not to top the stew with potatoes, bake biscuits and split them, serving the stew over the biscuits.

mashed-potato savvy

Chef Laurent Tourondel, of BLT restaurant fame, suggests that the butter and cream be heated before adding to the potatoes, and I agree. The potatoes take on an ethereal quality that doesn’t happen when you add cold cream and butter.

Mashed potatoes that cover stews or pot pies have to be stiff, but that doesn’t mean they have to be flavorless! These potatoes are filled with butter and sour cream, which give them terrific flavor, and they won’t sink to the bottom of your stew. Make sure you add the liquid to the potatoes a bit at a time and keep the consistency stiff, not runny. Feel free to leave the peels on the potatoes if you like more texture. Lumpy mashed potatoes are fine, too! Great additions include your favorite cheeses, cooked crumbled bacon, and caramelized onions.

8 medium russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 medium shallots, finely chopped (see savvy)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup sour cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper (see savvy)

¼ cup finely chopped chives for garnishing (optional)

combine the potatoes and shallots in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil uncovered for 20 minutes, until a knife goes into the potatoes easily. Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot over low heat.

warm the butter and cream in a small pan until the butter is melted. Pour half the butter mixture in the pot and mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Add the sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and some additional butter mixture and mash to achieve a nice stiff texture.

transfer the potatoes to the top of the stew by lifting some of the potatoes onto a spatula and flattening to ½ - to ¾-inch thick. Slide the potatoes onto the stew without pushing down on them. Continue until you have covered the stew. The potatoes can be made ahead of time and kept warm over boiling water. (Any leftover potatoes may be frozen for up to 3 months.)

season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the chives (if using) over the potatoes.

serves 8

garlic-mashed savvy

If you would prefer garlic mashed potatoes, omit the shallots and add 3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut half to the potatoes.

pepper savvy

Many of my students will buy white pepper and use it once, then get it out several years later to use again only to find it’s lost its taste and potency. If you use white pepper just once in a blue moon, don’t waste your money on it and just add freshly ground black pepper instead.