A few weeks ago, I made a really simple, yet really delicious, chuck roast in my slow cooker – basically all I added was red wine and water with onions and mushrooms and let it cook on low for hours. Wowzer. It was good. This week, I have some beef for stew from C-Saw Hill (click on the link to check out their new website!) that needed some love so I decided to give this meat a similar treatment.
Beef stew can be made either on the stove top for a few hours or in a crock pot all day. A slow cooker is this working mom’s lifeline on school days – prepare dinner early in the morning (or even the night before) and dinner is ready almost magically when starving children descend frantically upon the dining table clamoring for food. A slow cooker is equally fabulous for Sunday dinner – a little preparation in the morning and then leave it alone!
Red Wine Braised Beef Stew in a Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
1 to 2 lbs stew meat
Olive oil
Seasonings – Salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 large carrots, rough chopped
1/2 large onion, sliced or diced
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken (or beef) broth or water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Directions:
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| Brown the stew meat |
1. Brown the stew meat in a heavy bottomed pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Liberally season the stew meat with salt, pepper, dried crushed rosemary, and oregano. After the meat has begun to brown, add in about a tablespoon or so of cornstarch and stir to evenly coat the meat. Continue browning and scraping up the delicious brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan.
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| Beautiful carrots! |
2. Transfer the well seasoned and browned stew meat to the crockpot and add the remaining ingredients all at once. Stir gently to combine. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is falling-apart tender.
3. Serve with fluffy biscuits or crusty bread. Enjoy!!
