Slow Cooking Beef Stew
suggestions
While Belle may not have had a crockpot, slow cooking is a traditional and delicious way of making a stew. You may also bake in an oven proof covered pot or on the stovetop. Vegetables peels can be scrubbed and left if vegetables are organic.
1 pound beef, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
8 small red potatoes, chopped
1 zucchini, peel on, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 cups collard greens, washed, heavy veins cut out and chopped
1 cup broad egg noodles
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Pat beef cubes dry. Add 1 tablespoon oil to heavy sauté pan, set flame or heat to medium, and sear beef in batches. Pour 1/2 cup red wine over beef. Stir for 2 minutes. Place in crockpot set to high.
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Sauté onions for 3-4 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Stir until onions begin to soften. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and cook a few minutes more or until both are golden. Add oil or a bit of water if needed. Remove from pot and place over beef.
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Add carrots, potatoes and zucchini to crock pot, stirring to mix vegetables. Cover.
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Add collards in batches to sauté pan with 1/4 cup water. Cook, adding water as needed, until collards begin to wilt. Stir every few minutes to keep from sticking. Add to crockpot and stir.
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Cook stew for 3 hours or until beef is soft. Add chopped mushrooms and stir. Cook an additional hour. Adjust seasoning.
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Boil noodles according to package directions. Serve stew on top of noodles.
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Slow and Low: Cook stew on low and leave for 6-8 hours, adding the mushrooms in the last hour.
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More veggies please! Add other vegetables as desired, such as yellow squash, sweet potatoes, cubes of acorn or butternut squash, plum tomatoes, peeled and cubed rutabaga, turnips or parsnips.
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Secret ingredient! Ok, I’ll give it up to you!! Add 2 tablespoons Drambuie to the beef cubes and marinate for a few minutes up to an hour before searing. Fabulous sweet taste!