Beef Stew is a Comfort Favorite.

I enjoy making beef stew; a comforting collection of tender beef and vegetables, richly seasoned broth and lots of love.  When I decide to make stew, I put a lot of thought into my mood that day, and it helps me determine how to cook the stew, also what vegetables to use.  Do I want to add red wine or not; perhaps some diced chilies, or more onion than usual, or mushrooms?  Bet you didn't know that stew could be such a constructive culinary project?

One beef stew I've made for family, sometimes friends too, is my Country Beef Stew which takes two days and bakes in the oven.  I usually have to make two casserole dishes full, and there still aren't any leftovers.  When using the crock pot, I usually mix in flour with the beef cubes, and don't brown the meat; this time I changed it up.  The vegetables were the typical onions, potatoes and carrots; make sure to parboil the potatoes and carrots to make sure they come out nice and tender.  I like using the crock pot, but sometimes it still doesn't cook the vegetables properly.

Now beef stew in the summer?  Here in Monticello, the weather has been a bit strange this year; rain/snow showers until the middle of June; two weeks of excessive heat (we usually don't go over 85F, but went into the high 90s) end of June.  July 1st our monsoon season began right on time, but the temperatures have definitely cooled.  Wooly caterpillars have been seen since the end of May; I've always known that they signal an early winter, and a hard one.  My belief is that the tilting of the earth's axis, that occurred in 2012 (not the end of the planet), has a lot to do with all the climate changes around the Earth.  Give those Mayans credit, they said there would be great changes at the end of 2012, not the end of it all.  So. yeah, hot beef stew is perfect right now; especially served with homemade buttermilk biscuits.

Beef Stew for Crock Pot

Ingredients:

2 ½ lbs. sirloin or eye round roast
½ cup flour
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided in half
6 medium potatoes
1 lb. package baby carrots
1 large onion
1 ½ cups beef broth
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Preparation:

Spray a 6 quart crock pot with nonstick spray.

Cut roast into 1 inch thick slices, the slices into 1 inch thick strips, the strips into 1 inch cubes. Coat the cubes in flour; heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet, medium-high heat, add half the cubes and brown on all sides; drain on paper towels. Repeat with second half of cubes; place browned and drained cubes in bottom of crock pot.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, cut into 1 inch strips, the strips into 1 inch cubes. Place into 5 quart pot with the baby carrots, cover with water; parboil for 15 minutes.

While these are parboiling, cut the onion into ¼ inch strips; place over the beef in crock pot.

 Drain potatoes and carrots; spread out over the onions.

In a medium bowl, mix together beef broth, black pepper and garlic powder; pour over ingredients in crock pot.

Set pot on low; cook for 8-10 hours until meat, potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Winter Winds call for something Wicked.

Another snow storm hit Monticello this past weekend and it's not even officially winter yet!  The neighbors and I were digging out vehicles from the snow dunes the winds had created around them; and of course the piles of ice boulders at the end of the drive from the snow plows coming through.  Inside though, the slow cooker was creating so tender you can cut it with a fork beef, melt in the mouth vegetables and a rich gravy of orgasmic quality.  During the day the outside thermometer kept needling closer and closer to zero degrees, the wind chill factor putting the temperature into the negative.  Inside though, the scent from the slow cooker created an intoxicating aroma that caused incessant drooling.  It took a good ten hours for this ultimate comfort food meal to finish, but it was worth every cup of coffee or hot tea to keep the appetite at bay.

I call this slow cooker meal, "Wicked Pot Roast", but what makes it wicked you might ask?  The tang from the red wine vinegar and the heat from the green chiles merge with the other ingredients to make the beef, vegetables and gravy so decadent, so rich; you feel so wicked indulging in it.  Don't believe me; next snow storm on the horizon, get your slow cooker going with this recipe and you will believe; oh yes, you will believe. Oh, don't forget some nice warm, crusty rolls to sop up the gravy, or lick the bowl clean; either way works well.

Wicked Pot Roast

Ingredients:

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 large potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces and parboiled
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 lb. beef roast
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (10.5 oz) beef broth
1 packet onion soup mix
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Spray a 6 quart slow cooker (crock pot) with nonstick cooking spray.  Place veggies in bottom of cooker and sprinkle flour evenly over all; center roast on top of veggies.

In a medium bowl, whisk together tomatoes, broth, soup mix, garlic powder, vinegar and Worcestershire.  Pour mixture over roast, making sure that it flows down the sides and onto veggies below.

Set cooker on low; cook for 10 hours; roast will come apart easily; carrots and potatoes will be fork tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour