Slow cookers are always hot. In fact, according to Donna-Marie Pye, author of two slow cooker recipe books, when it comes to wedding gifts, slow cookers are the number 1 kitchen appliance.
"Slow cookers are a great way to transform any neophyte meal preparer, into a family hero," says Pye. "I always tell people to start out with a beef stew or basic pot roast.
They can't go wrong. Low and slow is the ideal way to cook less expensive cuts of beef, such as boneless beef cross rib, blade roast or brisket to fork-tender meat. You can't overcook stewing beef in a slow cooker and with so many pre-prepared vegetables - tiny new potatoes, baby carrots, turnip cubes and broccoli flowerettes - assembling the ingredients is a breeze."
When it comes to beef recipes, Pye's imagination never stops.
"The slow cooker opens up so many options for easy-to-prepare, great-tasting, economical suppers.
With the current trade restriction for beef, enjoying these value cuts more often really helps our Canadian beef farmers."
Pye's book, The Best Family Slow Cooker Recipes has recipes for meatloaf, ragout, short ribs, curry, chili and lasagna - to name just a few.
To meet the demand for a wider range of slow cooker recipes on the Recipe Centre at www. beefinfo.org, the Beef Information Centre has made arrangements with Robert Rose Inc. and its cookbook authors to adapt and post a number of these recipes.
The following recipe has been adapted from Pye's latest book.
For more recipes, visit www.beefinfo.org.
Bistro beef and beer stew
This is a hearty dish full of vegetable chunks and tender beef cubes.
The meat slowly bakes in a bold sauce of beer, stock and seasonings until it is fork-tender. Serve it with red wine and a French baguette.
Prep: 15 minutes Slow-cook: Six hours
Ingredients
50 ml (1/4 cup) all-purse flour
5 ml (1 tsp) salt 2 ml (1/2 tsp) each dried thyme and marjoram leaves and black pepper
1 kg (2 lb) beef stewing cubes
30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
250 ml (1 cup) dark beer, flat
250 ml (1 cup) beef stock
30 ml (2 tbsp) tomato paste
15 ml (1 tbsp) each dijon mustard and red wine vinegar
10 ml (2 tsp) worces- tershire sauce
1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 500 ml (2 cups) baby carrots
250 g (8 oz) button mushrooms
125 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream
Instructions
1. Combine flour, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper in a large, heavy-duty plastic bag. In batches, add beef cubes to flour mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to plate. In large nonstick skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat.
Cook beef in batches, adding more oil as needed, for eight to 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. With slotted spoon, transfer to 3-1/2 to six-quart slow cooker.
2. Add beer and stock to skillet and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Transfer to slow cooker. Add tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms to slow cooker, mix well.
3. Cook, covered, on 'low' for eight to 10 hours or 'high' for four to six hours or until vegetables are tender and stew is bubbling. Stir in sour cream just before serving.
Makes six servings. Adapted from The Best Family Slow Cooker Recipes by Donna-Marie Pye.
