Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (29 page)

As a child, when I smelled this dish in my mom’s kitchen I knew I was in for a treat. Beef rolled in cabbage leaves was simmered in a tangy tomato sauce for hours on the stovetop, resulting in a lovely package of tender beef and rice infused with the flavor of the sauce, sweet and a bit sour. Mom always served this with mashed potatoes, and it’s terrific with some chunky applesauce on the side.

1 large head green cabbage

One 32-ounce can tomato purée

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

One 6-ounce sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, sliced into half rounds

1 pound 85% lean ground beef

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup cooked white rice

½ cup ketchup

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

heat 6 quarts of salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Core the cabbage and separate the leaves carefully so they don’t tear. Blanch the cabbage a few leaves at a time in the boiling water and remove after about 30 seconds.

drain the cabbage leaves in a large colander and repeat until all the leaves are blanched. Set aside 8 large leaves and coarsely chop any remaining cabbage. Put the chopped cabbage, tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, sauerkraut, and onion in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

stir the mixture to combine. Cover and cook on high while making the rolls.

blend the beef, onion, rice, ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 por tions. Place one por tion in the center of each cabbage leaf and roll the leaf around the filling, tucking in the sides. Place the rolls seam-side down in the sauce in the slow cooker.

cook on high for 1 hour then cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Skim off any fat from the sauce.

serve the rolls from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

My friend Andy Gnoza gave me this idea.
Golabki
, as stuffed cabbage rolls are called in Polish, were a staple in the bachelor pad he shared with my soon-to-be husband, Chuck. He came up with this idea when he was too tired to blanch the cabbage but still wanted the delicious stick-to-your-ribs fare that he remembered from his mom’s house. This is a simple supper that is perfect to serve right from the slow cooker.

One 32-ounce can tomato purée

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup white vinegar

½ cup golden raisins

8 ounces lean ground pork

8 ounces 85% lean ground beef

½ cup cooked rice

½ cup finely chopped shallot

½ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large head green cabbage, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 large onion, sliced into half rounds

One 15-ounce can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

stir the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, and raisins together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir the pork, beef, rice, shallot, ketchup, salt, and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into 3-inch oval patties and set aside.

lay half the cabbage, onion, and sauerkraut in the bottom of the cooker with the sauce. Top with all the meat patties and spread the remaining cabbage, onion, and sauerkraut on top of the meat.

cover the cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cabbage and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

My local supermarket has what they call the “gourmet meal” section, where you can buy stuffed flank steaks, stuffed chicken breasts, and other seemingly complicated dishes to take home and bake. I always wonder how long they have been sitting there, and then whether anyone would buy another one after finding them to be tough and lacking flavor. Stuffed flank steak needs to be braised and cooked low and slow for the lean meat to become tender. The basic recipe for stuffing and cooking is the same, but the flavorings may be mixed and matched to suit your preference.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

½ pound white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

Two 10-ounce packages baby spinach

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

½ cup finely shredded white Cheddar cheese

One 1 ½- to 2-pound flank steak

One 28- to 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes with their juice

toss the oil, onion, and garlic together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high while making the filling.

cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp and remove it to paper towels to drain. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mushrooms begin to color.

transfer the contents of the skillet to a mixing bowl and add the bacon. Add the spinach to the same skillet and sauté until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper. transfer the spinach to the mixing bowl and allow the vegetables to cool. Add the bread crumbs and cheese and mix to blend.

place the flank steak on a cutting board and starting on one long side of the steak, cut the steak horizontally in half almost but not quite through the other side. Open the steak like a book. Spread the filling over the steak. Roll the steak up from one long side and tie with kitchen string or silicone loops. Add the tomatoes to the slow cooker and arrange the steak in the braising liquid.

cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is tender. Carefully lift the meat out of the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. Cut the strings from the meat and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. serve the meat napped with some of the sauce.

serves 6–8

Stuffed with piquant marinated artichokes, sharp Asiago cheese, and prosciutto, this flank steak is braised in a red wine sauce that makes it tender and delicious.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups full-bodied red wine

1 cup beef broth

Two 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

6 thin slices prosciutto, cut into julienne strips

½ cup finely shredded Asiago cheese

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

One 1 ½- to 2-pound flank steak

melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, basil, and oregano and sauté until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes.

add the wine and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Transfer the sauce to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the beef broth. Combine the ar tichokes, prosciutto, cheese, and bread crumbs together in a small bowl.

place the flank steak on a cutting board and starting on one long side of the steak, cut the steak horizontally in half almost but not quite through the other side. Open the steak like a book. Spread the mixture over the flank steak. Roll the steak up from one long side and tie with kitchen string or silicone bands.

arrange the steak in the slow-cooker insert, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove the steak from the slow cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allowto rest for 15 minutes. Skim off any fat from the sauce.

slice the meat. Serve it with some of the sauce.

serves 6–8

This slow-cooker recipe couldn’t be easier, and it’s delicious! Load the flank steak, salsa, and seasonings into the cooker, and then read romance novels all day long, until it’s time for dinner. Make sure to use a prepared salsa rather than fresh salsa, which will lose its flavor in the low slow cooking process. Serve the fajitas with warm tortillas, pinto beans, or
Refried Bean Casserole
along with an assortment of condiments.

4 cups prepared salsa

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Two 1½-pound flank steaks

combine the salsa, cumin, and lime juice in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Roll the flank steaks from the short side and place in the slow cooker.

cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the sauce, allow it to rest for 15 minutes, and shred, using two forks.

skim off any fat from the top of the sauce and return the meat to the slow cooker. Stir to blend with the sauce.

serve the meat directly from the cooker.

serves 8

Walk along any street in Chicago, and you will find little diners serving Italian beef sandwiches. Many hot dog street vendors sell them as well. The meat is cooked in a highly spiced broth, thinly sliced, and topped with a mélange of sautéed and pickled peppers. For this recipe, the peppers and beef are cooked together so you can serve dinner right out of the slow cooker. You won’t have leave town to try this Windy City sandwich!

Three 1½- to 2-pound flanks steaks

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large onions, cut into half rounds

2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

Two 15-ounce cans double-strength beef broth

8 crusty rolls (see savvy)

put the flank steaks into a 2-gallon zipper-top plastic bag. Mix the garlic, oregano, basil, bay leaf, shallots, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the oil together in a bowl. Pour the marinade into the bag and toss with the meat to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Roll the steaks from the short side and place them in the bottom of the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are softened and begin to turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bell peppers and sauté until they are softened, about 5 minutes.

transfer the onions and bell peppers to the cooker and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat is tender.

remove the meat from the cooker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Unroll the meat on a cutting board and cut across the grain into thin slices. Return the meat to the slow cooker.

serve the meat, onions, and peppers from the cooker along with the crusty rolls.

serves 8

italian beef savvy

Use firm-crusted rolls for this sandwich so you can dip them into the beef juice, as it is done in Chicago. A crusty roll can withstand the extra moisture, whereas soft-crusted rolls will shrink and become gummy.

Short ribs come from the end of the rib section and can be sold with or without pieces of bone. I recommend that you buy boneless short ribs because they cook faster than those with bones, and you won’t have to take the meat off the bone to serve it.

This succulent dish is a great way to jump-start a weeknight dinner. The Asian flavors highlight the beefy short ribs, and when served with soba noodles or sticky rice and an Asian cabbage salad, your family will be asking for seconds!

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4½ pounds boneless short ribs, fat trimmed (see savvy)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups sliced sweet onions, such as Vidalia or red onions (about 4 medium to large)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

½ cup soy sauce

1½ cups chicken broth

Chopped green onions for garnishing

Toasted sesame seeds for garnishing

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat half the brown sugar onto the ribs. Add the ribs a few at a time to the skillet and brown on all sides, being careful not to burn the sugar.

transfer the ribs to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the skillet over mediumhigh heat and sauté until the onions and garlic are fragrant, about 4 minutes.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the remaining sugar, the hoisin, soy sauce, and broth. Sprinkle with the pepper. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours or on low for 3½ to 4 hours, until the meat is tender.

remove the meat from the slow-cooker insert. Skim off any fat from the sauce and pour some of the sauce over the meat. Serve any remaining sauce on the side. Garnish the ribs with the green onions and sesame seeds. serves 4–6

short ribs savvy

You may not be able to get exactly 4½ pounds of short ribs—it may be 5 pounds or it may be 4 pounds. I recommend purchasing 7 boneless ribs no matter what the weight comes to, that way you have about 1½ ribs per person, once all the fat and collagen has melted away.