Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (39 page)
1
Bring a pan of water to a boil over high heat. Stem and seed the chiles, then tear the flesh into small bits. Set the torn chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for 20 minutes.
2
Drain the chile bits in a colander set over a bowl, catching the liquid in a bowl below. Scrape the softened chiles into a large blender; add the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg. Blend into a grainy paste, adding just enough of the soaking liquid to keep the blade moving through the paste.
3
Scrape the chile mixture into the slow cooker, add the beef, and toss to make sure every piece of meat is coated.
4
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cloves. Toast until aromatic, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Pour the spices into the cooker; stir in the potatoes.
5
Whisk the coconut milk, broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture over everything in the cooker; toss well.
6
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat and potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the stew or over individual bowlfuls when serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This recipe is actually a slow-cooker version of Thai massaman curry, so named because the dish was heavily influenced by spices and techniques from the food carried in caravans from as far away as Iran (thus,
massaman,
or Moslem). Rather than using a packaged Thai curry paste, we went all out and built the curry from scratch.
•
Use only fresh lemongrass or jarred lemongrass packed in water, not dried lemongrass. If there are any dried-out or desiccated bits on the spears, peel them off until you get down to a moist core.
•
Use white potatoes like Irish creamers, not the starchier Russets or baking potatoes.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Tamarind paste is the boiled down, sticky, sweet-and-sour juice from the fruit of a tree indigenous to northern Africa. The paste is now used worldwide in dishes—and is an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. Look for small jars of tamarind paste in the international aisle of most supermarkets.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 16
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground mace
⅛ tsp cayenne
⅛ tsp salt
1½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ tblsp unsalted butter
3 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
¼ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1½ tblsp sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
4- TO 5½-QUART
½ tblsp ground cardamom
½ tblsp ground coriander
½ tblsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground mace
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp salt
3½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1½ tblsp unsalted butter
8 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
⅔ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
⅓ cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ tsp ground cardamom
2½ tsp ground coriander
2½ tsp ground cumin
½ tblsp ground mace
¾ tsp cayenne
¾ tsp salt
5½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tblsp unsalted butter
12 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
½ cup sweet white wine, such as Riesling or Spätlese
1
Mix the cardamom, coriander, cumin, mace, cayenne, and salt in the slow cooker. Add the beef cubes and stir until they are coated in the spices.
2
Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallots; cook, stirring often, until softened and sweet, 4 to 6 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.
3
Stir in the broth and wine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef bits are quite tender, irresistibly so.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Here’s a wonderfully aromatic spice blend, far better than many of the versions of curry powder available in supermarkets. Make a triple batch and save it in a small, sealed jar for curries down the road.
•
The sophistication to this rather straightforward dish comes from the shallots fried in butter.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Curries are not one thing, but a multitude of dishes—each one with a blend of spices that creates an individual, even idiosyncratic flavor profile, which is a far cry from that yellow spice blend often used heavy-handedly in recipes. It’s safe to say that there are as many kinds of curry as there are mindful Indian cooks.
with carrots and prunes
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
40 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
10 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ tblsp unsalted butter
2 pounds beef oxtails
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
⅔ cup small fresh pearl onions, peeled, or frozen, thawed
1 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup Pitted prunes
1 tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp crushed dried rosemary
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ cup bold dry red wine, such as Mouvedre or Granache
½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1½ tblsp all-purpose flour
4- TO 5½-QUART
2½ tblsp unsalted butter
4 pounds beef oxtails
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2½ cups small fresh pearl onions, peeled, or frozen, thawed
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
⅔ cup Pitted prunes
½ tblsp minced garlic
1¼ tsp dried oregano
1¼ tsp crushed dried rosemary
1¼ tsp dried thyme
1 cup bold dry red wine, such as Mouvedre or Granache
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2½ tblsp all-purpose flour
6- TO 8-QUART
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter
6 pounds beef oxtails
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
4 cups small fresh pearl onions, peeled, or frozen, thawed
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup Pitted prunes
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1½ cups bold dry red wine, such as Mouvedre or Granache
1½ cups reduced-sodium beef broth
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1
Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Season the oxtails with the salt and pepper, then set as many in the skillet as will comfortably fit. Brown them on both sides, turning only after a few minutes. Transfer them to the slow cooker and brown more as necessary.
2
Dump the pearl onions into the skillet, still over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until browned on at least two sides, between 4 and 8 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the cooker. Add the carrots, prunes, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Pour in the wine and stir well.
3
Whisk the broth and flour in a bowl until the flour dissolves; pour over the ingredients in the cooker.
4
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the meat has shrunk back from the bones and is quite tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
For those who like bones with their beef, there may be no finer stew. Oxtails release lots of collagen and sticky protein, enriching the stew into a ridiculously satisfying meal. You’ll want to have plenty of napkins at the table: everyone’s going to want to pick up the bones and slurp off the sauce.
•
If the prunes are larger than bite-size, slice them in half before adding them to the slow cooker.
•
If you have a set of marrow spoons, now is the time to use them! Dig out the soft, luxurious bits in some of the larger bones, then spread it on crunchy bread—or simply let it dissolve into the stew.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Oxtails are, well, the cow’s tail cut into bony segments. They’re an old-fashioned cut, more from your grandmother’s day than yours, but they deserve a comeback. The best are in small pieces, each just one bone long, chock full of meat in the nooks and crannies.
with gigantes beans
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
10½ HOURS (INCLUDES SOAKING THE BEANS)
•
COOK TIME:
10 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅓ cup dried gigantes beans
½ tblsp olive oil
1½ pounds
beef oxtails
1 small yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1⅓ cups water
½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
⅔ cup dried gigantes beans
1½ tblsp olive oil
3 pounds
beef oxtails
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
⅓ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
2⅔ cups water
1½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
1 cup dried gigantes beans
2 tblsp olive oil
4½ pounds
beef oxtails
1 large yellow onion, chopped
½ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
4 cups (1 quart) water
2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tblsp dried thyme
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1
Soak the gigantes beans in a large bowl of water for 10 hours (or up to 16 hours).
2
Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then swirl in the oil. Add the oxtails in batches to brown them, 6 to 8 minutes per batch, turning once. Transfer them to the slow cooker and continue browning more as necessary.
3
Add the onion to the skillet, still set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on a few sides, between 4 and 7 minutes. Transfer the onion to the slow cooker.
4
Pour the wine into the skillet; bring to a rolling boil. Scrape up any browned bits in the skillet; pour and scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.
5
Drain the beans in a colander in the sink; pour them into the cooker. Stir in the water, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and pepper.
6
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the meat has pulled back from the bones and even the cartilage around the meat is tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Oxtails and gigantes beans add up to a rich stew, quite hearty for a cold evening’s meal.
•
We used water here, not broth. We found the dish to be so rich, it didn’t need any added push. The water also allows the other flavors to come through without complication.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Gigantes beans, also called
gigandes beans
or
yigandes beans,
or even
gigandes plaki
, are something of a Greek staple, often stewed with tomatoes, olive oil, and parsley, then served as one of several small plates (
meze
) for a lighter meal. If you can’t find gigantes beans, substitute dried large lima beans.
These recipes are some of the simplest in this book. That should come as no surprise, since the sweet and
umami
flavors of pork seem to get even better in a slow cooker. There’s no need to fuss it up!
It’s hard to imagine that pork was once subjected to a host of culinary indignities. The meat itself had become pretty tasteless and was often cooked to ridiculously high internal temperatures in a wrong-headed bid for safety. But thanks to both a resurgence of heritage pig breeds and better cooking techniques, as well as more sensible internal temperature guidelines from the USDA, there’s been something of a pork renaissance. It’s the go- to meat for every foodie in the land. And probably for a lot of families, too.
Even quick-cooking cuts like pork chops and pork tenderloin do well in the slow cooker, partly because of the way the meat is evenly marbled. Yes, you can overcook it; but most of the time, you don’t have to worry about doing so in the high-moisture world of a slow cooker.
We start with those chops, then make our way to the tenderloin before turning to the (ahem) meat of the chapter: the pork loin and shoulder. Both are seemingly made for what the slow cooker can do best: mellow flavors, blend them, and make dinner without too much work. Okay, we’ve got a few high-effort recipes, too. Everyone should stuff a pork loin just once! But for the most part, pork doesn’t need fancy techniques.
We’ll round out this section with ham recipes and some pork meatballs in Italian and Chinese incarnations, all solid American fare. And we’ll take a glance at some lesser used cuts like belly and hocks. Did you know you can even make baby back ribs in the slow cooker?
Most of these recipes freeze well, partly for the same reasons that pork is easy to cook: the finished products are loaded with plenty of fat and flavor. Consider setting up a slow cooker this weekend, if only to make a batch of
Basic Pulled Pork
or
Italian Sunday Gravy
. After you’ve relished every bite you can, squirrel away smaller servings in your freezer.
And one cautionary note before you get started: as you move through these recipes, pay particular attention to the differences between bone-in and boneless cuts. The amount of liquids and the cooking times have been calibrated to fit a specific cut. A recipe for a boneless pork loin simply will not work with the bone-in variety.
So stock up—not only at home but at the store, too. Just remember: when freezing meat at home, remove it from the supermarket packaging, then store the pork in large zip-closed plastic bags, sealed tightly with all the air let out. A well-stocked freezer and a slow cooker are hog heaven.