Flanken Ribs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Reduce Tabasco sauce to a few drops to tone down the “heat.”
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
2 pounds flanken ribs
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1
⁄
2
cup water
1
⁄
8
cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1
⁄
4
teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1
⁄
4
cup parsley leaves
- Add all ingredients except parsley leaves to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours. Sprinkle on parsley evenly just before serving.
Beef Bourguignon
For a complete fine-dining experience, serve Beef Bourguignon over noodles with a salad.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth or water
4 cups burgundy
1
⁄
2
teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1
⁄
2
cup margarine, softened (optional)
1
⁄
2
cup all-purpose flour (optional)
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until it is transparent. Stir in the garlic, sauté for 30 seconds, and then transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Cover the cooker.
- Add the beef cubes to the skillet and brown the meat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Cover the cooker.
- Add half of the sliced mushrooms to the skillet; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the mushroom liquids have evaporated; transfer to the slow cooker and replace the cover.
- Add the tomato paste to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes or until the tomato paste just begins to brown. Stir in the broth or water, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits and work them into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the burgundy, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Pour into the slow cooker. Add the remaining mushrooms and sliced onions to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Optional: To thicken the sauce, use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat, cooked onions, and mushrooms to a serving platter; cover and keep warm. In a small bowl, mix the margarine together with the flour to form a paste; whisk in some of the pan liquid a little at a time to thin the paste. Strain out any lumps. Increase the heat of the cooker to high. When the pan liquids begin to bubble around the edges, whisk in the flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour over the meat, mushrooms, and onions on the serving platter.
Brisket Tzimmes
If there’s room in the slow cooker, at the beginning of Step 3 you can add a 1-pound bag of thawed frozen cut green beans along with the sweet potatoes.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
1 (3-pound) beef brisket
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 (12-ounce) box pitted prunes (dried plums)
1 tablespoon dried or freeze-dried parsley
3 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons white or white wine vinegar
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
A Touch More Cinnamon?
Taste the broth at the end of Step 2. That’s the ideal time to add more ground cloves and cinnamon to taste if you think it could use more.
- Add the brisket, onion, salt, pepper, celery, carrot, prunes, and parsley to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.
- In a large bowl, mix the broth, lemon juice, cloves, cinnamon, honey, and vinegar together and then pour over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the meat is cooked through.
- Add the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on low for another 2 hours or until the brisket and sweet potatoes are tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to move the vegetables and meat to a serving platter. Tent with foil or otherwise cover and keep warm. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before you carve it, slicing it against the grain.
Barbecue Meatloaf
This recipe assumes you’re using commercial barbecue sauce, which is usually thicker than homemade sauce. The brown sugar sprinkled over the top of the meatloaf helps caramelize the sauce.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
2 pounds lean ground beef
1
⁄
2
pound lean ground veal
2 large eggs
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
1
⁄
2
cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1
1
⁄
2
cups barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend, to taste (optional)
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, ground veal, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, oatmeal, parsley, and 1 cup of the barbecue sauce; mix well with your hands. Form into a loaf to fit the size (round or oval) of your slow cooker.
- Line the slow cooker with two pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil long enough to reach up both sides of the slow cooker and over the edges, crossing one piece over the other. Place a piece of nonstick foil the size of the bottom of the slow cooker crock inside the crossed pieces of foil (or a slow cooker liner) to form a platform for the meatloaf. (This is to make it easier to lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker.)
- Put the meatloaf over the top of the nonstick foil. Spread the remaining
1
⁄
2
cup of barbecue sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Sprinkle the brown sugar and Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend, if using, over the top of the barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf registers 165°F.
- Lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes before transferring it to a serving platter and slicing it.
Cottage Pie with Carrots, Parsnips, and Celery
Cottage Pie is similar to the more familiar Shepherd’s Pie, but it uses beef instead of lamb.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1
1
⁄
2
cups beef stock
1
⁄
2
teaspoon hot paprika
1
⁄
2
teaspoon crushed rosemary
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1
⁄
2
teaspoon dried savory
1
⁄
8
teaspoon salt
1
⁄
4
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water, mixed (if necessary)
1
⁄
4
cup minced fresh parsley
2
3
⁄
4
cups plain mashed potatoes
Save Time in the Morning
Take a few minutes the night before cooking to cut up any vegetables you need for a recipe. Place them in an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate until morning. Measure any dried spices and place them in a small container on the counter until needed.
- In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, celery, and beef until the ground beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and discard it. Place the mixture into a round 4-quart slow cooker.
- Add the stock, paprika, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, savory, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Cook on low for 6–8 hours. If the meat mixture still looks very wet, create a slurry by mixing together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir this into the meat mixture.
- In a medium bowl, mash the parsley and potatoes using a potato masher. Spread on top of the ground beef mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30–60 minutes or until the potatoes are warmed through.
Pastrami
New York–style pastrami is peppercorn-crusted smoked corned beef that is sometimes steamed before serving. Smoked paprika will impart a
subtle smoky flavor. For a more intense smoked flavor, use liquid smoke, too.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
1 (4-pound) corned beef brisket
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons pickling spice
1
1
⁄
2
cups water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
3
⁄
4
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3
⁄
4
teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1
⁄
4
teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Deli-Style Pastrami Sandwich
Pile thin slices of pastrami on a slice of deli rye slathered with mustard. Top with another slice of rye bread. Serve with a big, crisp kosher dill pickle.
- Trim any fat from the corned beef brisket. Add the brisket, onions, garlic, pickling spice, and water to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Turn off the cooker and allow the meat to cool enough to handle it.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, add the crushed (or cracked) peppercorns, nutmeg, allspice, paprika, and liquid smoke (if using) and mix well. Rub the peppercorn mixture over all sides of the corned beef.
- Place beef on a roasting pan; roast on the middle shelf for 45 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then carve by slicing it against the grain or on the diagonal.
Swiss Steak
Pound each steak thin between two pieces of plastic wrap before coating with flour. Serve Swiss Steak over mashed potatoes.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1
⁄
2
cup all-purpose flour