This is remarkably like my Crock-Pot at home. Just cleaner.
-- Papaw Wright, c. 1990
I love to hear and see Mom laugh, and my grandfather's slightly random statement one evening made her hee-haw 'til her eyes watered.
Growing up, Mom cooked frequently -- usually every Sunday -- using a pressure cooker. By the time I was in college, she started using a slow cooker for a few meals, which were always tasty.
I inherited my current Crock-Pot from Youngun, who's partly responsible for my love of slow-cooker food. The other responsible party is Peter Athens, who shared a recipe for Beef Burgundy a few years ago. Youngun and I made it, and it was uh-
MAZE-ing!
"I've learned a couple of tricks about this recipe since I last sent it to you," Peter told me earlier today on Facebook. "You might want to lightly flour the meat you need to brown. It'll brown better and faster."
Also, Peter apparently hates frying bacon on the stove top.
"Better to bake whole slices on a wire rack at 425 degrees for 20 minutes," he said. "No mess, and it's perfect every time. Crackle it up into small pieces and reserve some of the grease for sauteing the vegetables."
Before I forget, he suggested cooking with Granny's Good Ol' Fashion Bacon Drippings.
"It's divine! A Southern boy like you would approve," said Peter, who added it could be found on the bacon aisle at Petty's and Reasor's.
So here's the recipe Peter shared from "America's Test Kitchen."
Beef Burgundy
Serves 6-88 ounces bacon, chopped (
freeze it for 30 minutes to aid chopping)
4 pounds beef stew meat (
preferably chuck and trimmed of fat)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine (
try a 1/2 bag of baby carrots chopped fine)
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons tomato paste (
buy sun-dried tomato paste in a tube)
2 1/2 cups Pinot Noir
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (
try Better Than Bouillon Chicken Stock)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons minute tapioca (
Youngun and I used tapioca seed pearls)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
For garnish:
2 cups frozen pearl onions
10 ounces white mushrooms
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup water
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate, and refrigerate. Pour half of bacon fat into small bowl; set skillet with remaining bacon fat aside.
2. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper; place half of beef in slow cooker insert. Heat skillet containing remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook remaining beef in single layer until deep brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer browned beef into slow cooker.
3. Add reserved bacon fat to now-empty skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Add chopped onion, carrots and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, and stir until beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
4. Return now-empty skillet to high heat, and add 1 1/2 cups wine, chicken broth and soy sauce. Simmer, scraping up brown bits, until pan bottom is clean, about 1 minute. Transfer wine mixture to slow cooker.
5. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow cooker. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 8 hours.
6. Once meat is fork-tender, discard bay leaves, and stir in reserved bacon.
7. For garnish, bring 2 cups frozen pearl onions, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in a large skillet over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add 10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until vegetables are browned and glazed, about five minutes. Stir onions and mushrooms into stew.
8. Bring remaining 1 cup wine to boil in large skillet over high heat, and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir reduced wine and parsley into stew, and adjust seasonings.
Notes: Make sure to use the low setting on your Crock-Pot, or the stew will burn. You can serve this with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.
But it's absolutely delicious eaten slap outta the bowl, too.
Peace, love and pearl onions ... j.a.w.
