Month Long Special - Beef Stew (Low and Slow)

Last week we talked about how to cook Beef Stew in the Crockpot. This process took the longest. Today is a medium length. It will take up to five hours however it won't have as many steps and won't be as complicated. But the process will be very similar to last week so if you do not have enough time or patience for last week's recipe this one may be for you.

So we are going to start by preparing everything. We want to start with 3 to 5 large yellow onions. These will be chopped into eighths (so what we do is down the middle - peel- down the middle of the two halves and then down the middle of each quarter), the number you use will depend on the size of your roast and the size of your roasting pan. Next, you will want to wash (and peel if you prefer) your potatoes. We use baby potatoes so all we do is slice them in half (or quarters if they are noticeably larger than normal) and throw them in the bottom of the roasting pan. We also add carrots (washed or peeled) to the bottom (you can use a whole bag of baby carrots or the same amount of carrots to potatoes, chopped into rounds). We also add mushrooms (quartered) to this recipe but that is optional.

Next, we want to roast off our beef. So in a hot pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 cloves of garlic (shredded), and some Thyme, some Oregano (any spice you like with beef is fine also). You want to salt the beef really well, and then sear each side (top, bottom, left, right, and both ends). Once all sides are seared, transfer the meat to the bed of vegetables waiting in the roasting pan. Now deglaze the pan by using some red wine and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. (if you use fresh herbs you can remove them now). Once everything has come off of the pan and the wine has cooked out, add some Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tbsp) and add the liquid to the roasting pan. Add 1 to 2 boxes of beef broth (depending on the size of your pan - you want liquid over the vegetables and enough to baste with).

Once everything is in the roasting pan, cook on low (200 degrees) for four to five hours keeping in mind that you must hit 145 degrees internal temperature. During the first hour, baste the roast every fifteen minutes. After the first hour, continue basting every half hour until the beef is ready.

Once your beef is cooked and your vegetables are soft. Take the meat out and let it rest on a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon remove the vegetables and transfer them to a bowl. On low to medium-low heat, start to brown flour for your gravy. You must keep an eye on this or the flour will burn. You will know the flour is done when you can smell a nice nutty fragrance and the flour darkens slightly.

Taste the liquid the beef has been cooking in. Chances are because we used beef broth in this recipe, there isn't much flavour. You are going to want to play around with this liquid, adding beef bullion (and possibly water) until you get a flavourful liquid. Once it is to your liking, slowly add flour, whisking it in. Once the flour has all been whisked in completely, slice the beef into cubes and add it along with the vegetables to the gravy.