Smitten Kitchen Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Beef slow-braised in a mustard sauce becomes rich, tender and delicious!

I have to say that in general, beef stew is one of those dishes I had always been 'meh' about. I never disliked information technology, but I can't say I ever craved it either. I think I probably associate information technology with the gross canned stuff that everybody ate in college. You know, that brownish sludge with chunks of 'beef' and flecks of 'carrot'. No thanks!

But a couple of weeks ago we went to my brother and sister-in-police'south house for dinner and they fabricated a version of beef stew that was and so good, I knew I wanted to make one at home. Information technology reminded me that stew is basically merely braised beefiness, off the bone. And if your braising liquid is really flavorful, chances are your beef will be as well. That'due south just scientific discipline.

I ended up adapting a recipe from the always brilliant Smitten Kitchen, which itself was adapted from Regina Schrambling via The NYT. The key to this recipe is the copious corporeality of mustard that the beef cooks in. I actually reduced information technology a little in my version, not because the original wouldn't be tasty, but I found it but didn't need quite as much.

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If you hate mustard and everything it stands for you lot're probably not even reading this non going to cook this but if you're on the fence, know that mustard mellows a lot when information technology'southward cooked. The sharp vinegary bite becomes more of a deep savoriness.

You could likewise utilise red vino instead of the brandy only the rich, almost toasty flavour works incredibly well with the mustard. I also added garlic, thyme and bay leaves merely because I like them, though you could go out them out or bandy the thyme for rosemary.

• Kathy, my sister in law, used a dull cooker which would piece of work really well for beef stew. I thing she did which I thought was vivid was that she roasted the carrots separately and then they kept a really bright flavor and color (which is hard to do in a crockpot). If you exercise this, roast the shallots on the same tray with the carrots.
• If using a dull cooker, cook for iv hours on high or 7-eight hours on low.
• The shallots are completely optional but I love them braised. Don't forget to leave a little of the root end intact so they don't autumn apart.
• The original recipes for beefiness stew use the bacon for the fat only but stirred the crispy bits in. You could add together them to a salad instead or eliminate them entirely.

Savory Beef Stew with Mustard and Brandy

Beef wearisome-braised in a mustard sauce becomes rich, tender and delicious!

Prep Fourth dimension thirty mins

Melt Fourth dimension 2 hrs thirty mins

Total Time 3 hrs

Servings: 6

• 1/iv pound pancetta or bacon diced (optional)
• 1 large onion diced
• iv big garlic cloves finely chopped
• 10 shallots peeled, halved vertically, and trimmed off the root end
• 2-four tablespoons butter as needed
• 2 pounds beef chuck in i-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Table salt and freshly basis black pepper
• 1/2 cup brandy or Cognac
• 2 1/2 cups unsalted beef or craven stock
• 1/2 loving cup smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fibroid Dijon or Pommery mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves picked and chopped if large
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 medium carrots peeled and cutting into 1 1/two inch chunks
• ane/ii pound crimini or push mushrooms cleaned and quartered

• Preheat oven to 325ºF / 160ºC

• Place bacon in a Dutch oven or a large heavy kettle over low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and fix bated. Annotation: If yous don't want to use bacon, but melt two tablespoons butter. Enhance estrus to medium-loftier. Flavour beef lightly with salt but generously with pepper and lightly toss with flour. Place half the cubes in the pan. Cook in a unmarried layer (don't crowd the pan, exercise it in more batches if necessary) over medium-loftier heat until well browned on all sides, then transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining beef, calculation the second batch of browned beef to the bowl.

• If the pan is dry, add 2 tablespoons butter. Add together onions and cook until softened simply not brownish, about 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add brandy and melt, stirring, until the lesser is deglazed and any crusted-on bits come loose. Add together stock, thyme, bay leaves, smooth Dijon mustard and fibroid mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat to pot. Bring liquid to a gentle simmer, cover pot and place in the oven. Cook until meat is very tender, about ane i/4 hours, stirring occasionally.

• Note: If using a slow cooker, add sauce and browned beefiness and cook for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on depression. Add together carrots and shallots halfway through or roast them separately.

• Stir in carrots and shallots, and continue cooking for 35-40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. As they melt, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté mushrooms until browned and tender. Stir mushrooms and reserved crumbled bacon into stew, and then sense of taste, and adjust seasoning.

• Serve hot, with boiled potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

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Source: https://nerdswithknives.com/savory-beef-stew-mustard-brandy/

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