The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (10 page)

Carefully remove the lamb from the sauce; it will be falling off the bones, so use a set of tongs to keep the meat together. Cover the lamb with aluminum foil. Skim off any excess fat from the sauce, taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the parsley and orange zest. Serve the lamb shanks dressed in the sauce.

Lamb Stuffed with Artichokes and Braised in Lemon and White Wine

This stunning dish is a Provençal treatment of a lamb loin, which is stuffed with artichokes and simmered in a lemon and white wine sauce. It’s a perfect main course to serve in the spring over mashed potatoes flavored with Boursin cheese, accompanied by roasted baby rainbow carrots.

SERVES 6

Two 2-lb/910-g lamb loins, trimmed of excess fat

¼ cup/60 ml Dijon mustard

6 garlic cloves, minced

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

One 10-oz/280-g package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and coarsely chopped

2 tsp dried tarragon

Grated zest of 2 lemons

4 tbsp/60 ml fresh lemon juice

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

¼ cup/60 ml veal demi-glace or chicken soup base

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Lay a lamb loin on a cutting board, with an end facing you. Make a lengthwise cut through the center of the loin, cutting from one end to the other, and leaving a ¾-in/2-cm hinge of uncut meat. Open up the loin, and flatten using a meat tenderizer so that the loin is an even thickness, about ½ in/12 mm. Repeat with the second loin. Make a paste from the mustard, 2 garlic cloves, salt, and pepper and rub the loins with the mixture on top and underneath.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the remaining 4 garlic cloves, the artichoke hearts, 1 tsp of the tarragon, and the lemon zest until the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Sprinkle the mixture with 2 tbsp of the lemon juice and allow to cool. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared lamb loins, fold the meat over the filling, and tie with butcher’s twine or secure with silicone bands at 1-in/2.5-cm intervals.

Stir together the remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice, the remaining tarragon, wine and demi-glace. Pour into the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet over high heat, and brown the lamb on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, or on low for 2 hours, or until the meat registers 140°F/60°C on an instant-read meat thermometer.

Using tongs, remove the lamb from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil. Strain the cooking liquid into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, knead together the butter and the flour. Whisk in the butter mixture, 1 tsp at a time, and continue whisking until the sauce returns to a boil and is smooth and thickened to your liking. Cut the butcher’s twine from the lamb. Slice the lamb 1 in/2.5 cm thick, nap with some of the warm sauce, and pass the rest of the sauce on the side when serving.

Old-Fashioned French Beef Stew

A kissing cousin to beef in Burgundy wine, this comfort food for the Gallic soul soothes and warms the body on cold winter nights. Serued in bistros all over France, it is flavored with tomato, a bit of red wine, thyme, and bay leaves. It’s perfect served over buttered noodles or with creamy mashed potatoes.

SERVES 6

8 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

3½ to 4 lb/1.6 to 1.8 kg beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ cup/80 g finely chopped shallots

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

¼ cup/60 ml tomato paste

½ cup/120 ml full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Merlot, or Barolo

2 cups/480 ml beef broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is crisp, and transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Drain all but 2 tbsp of the bacon drippings from the pan. Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper and brown the meat, in batches if necessary, transferring the browned pieces to the slow-cooker insert. Add the shallots, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves to the skillet, and sauté until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker insert, and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours, until the beef is tender.

Carefully remove the meat from the sauce, using a slotted spoon, and transfer to a tureen or serving bowl. Pour the sauce into a saucepan, remove the bay leaves, and bring the sauce to a boil. Knead the butter and flour together in a small bowl. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce, 1 tsp at a time, and continue whisking until the sauce returns to a boil and is smooth and thickened to your liking. Stir in the chopped parsley, and pour the sauce over the beef in the bowl. Serve immediately.

Moroccan-Style Beef

This savory stew is filled with chickpeas, carrots, and succulent chunks of beef, which are tinted red by the generous quantity of paprika. It’s a great party dish to serve with couscous and a red onion and orange salad, dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

SERVES 6

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp saffron, crushed in the palm of your hand

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp sweet paprika

3 lb/1.4 kg beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

2 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

4 medium carrots, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks

2 cups/480 ml beef broth

Two 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, saffron, cumin, and paprika to form a loose paste. Rub half of the mixture into the beef and set aside. Put the onions and carrots in the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker, and drizzle the remaining paste over the vegetables, tossing them to coat.

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, transferring the browned pieces to the slow-cooker insert. Pour the broth into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the broth and chickpeas into the slow cooker and stir to blend the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender.

Carefully transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add pepper if necessary. In a small bowl, knead together the butter and flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce, 1 tsp at a time, and continue whisking until the sauce returns to a boil and is smooth and thickened to your liking. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro and parsley and serve.

Beef Bracciole

Thin slices of round steak are rolled around prosciutto and Fontina cheese and simmered in a red wine and tomato sauce flavored with rosemary. The result is a delicious stick-to-your-ribs entrée for winter dining, which you can serve over pasta, polenta, roasted potatoes, risotto, or farro. Or serve the bracciole at room temperature for a patio supper.

SERVES 6 TO 8

4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup/240 ml full-bodied red wine, such as Barolo, Chianti, Merlot, or Zinfandel

One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can chopped tomatoes, with their juice

2 lb/910 g round steak, sliced ¼ in/6 mm thick (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 thin slices prosciutto (about ¼ lb/115 g total)

8 slices Italian Fontina cheese

½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic, onion, carrots, and rosemary for 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker, and stir in the tomatoes. Cover and set on high while preparing the meat.

Lay the steak on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay a piece of prosciutto and a slice of Fontina on each piece of meat. Roll the meat from the short end, tucking in the sides, to form a compact package and secure with a toothpick, butcher’s twine, or silicone bands. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in the same skillet, and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours, until the beef is tender, and the filling registers 170°F/77°C on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the meat from the sauce, and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Skim off any excess fat from the sauce, and stir in the parsley. Remove the toothpick from each beef roll. Slice the rolls into three or four pieces and arrange on dinner plates, or on a serving platter. To serve, spoon some of the warm sauce over the rolls, and pass the remaining sauce on the side.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

Top round is generally a smaller piece of meat than bottom round, and it will be a bit more tender, with some marbling. Your butcher can slice the meat into ¼-in/6-mm slices for you. Many supermarkets sell this cut as “minute steaks.” Should you purchase bottom round, cut each slice into three pieces, and then roll up as directed.