Braising Steak In Slow Cooker Food

SLOW-COOKER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften - about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don't add salt as the stock may be salty).
• Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.
• If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.

BRAISED STEAK AND ONIONS IN SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• This recipe covers cooking in the Dutch oven or in a slow cooker or the hob if you prefer. On the hob, then liquid should be kept at a low simmer. Under this is a recipe for the Instant Pot.
• Pre-heat your oven to 170C.
• Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the pan and seal the steak on both sides. In the meantime peel and chop the onions into quarters and peel and half the garlic cloves.
• Then add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and bouquet garni to the pot and add the red wine and stock to the pot.
• Put the lid on the pot and place the pot in the middle of the oven (or on the hob). Cook for a total of about 3 hrs 15 minutes.
• After 2 hours, check the level of liquid is sufficient and add more water if necessary. Turn the steak over, replace the lid and place back in the oven.
• When the cooking time is over, remove the pot from the oven.
• Take the meat from the pot and keep it warm in the oven.
• Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the Instant Pot with the sauté setting and melt the butter in the pot. Then seal the steak on both sides.
• In the meantime peel and chop the onions into quarters and peel and half the garlic cloves.
• Then add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and bouquet garni to the pot and add the red wine and stock to the pot.
• Put the lid on the pot set, put the release valve to seal set to cook at high pressure for 90 minutes.
• When the 90 minutes is finished, release the pressure with the manual release valve, being careful not to burn yourself.
• Remove the steak from the pot and keep warm.
• You can use the braising liquid in the pot to make a tasty gravy.
• Strain the liquid through a sieve into a jug, and remove the beef fat that is in there with a ladle.
• Then pour the liquid back into the Dutch oven or a pan on medium heat, add some water if needed and the onions from the sieve, removing the thyme stalks, bouquet garni and bay leaves. I use the water from the potatoes I was boiling for the mash.
• Add the Oxo stock cube and gravy granules and let the gravy reduce on a simmer until it has the required thickness. In the Instant Pot you can do this on the sauté setting again.
• Pour into a gravy boat to serve up.