The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (11 page)

Beef Pizzaiola

Beef bathed in an oregano-scented tomato sauce makes a terrific weeknight dinner when paired with pasta or polenta. A sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over each serving completes the picture.

SERVES 6

FOR THE PIZZAIOLA SAUCE

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tsp dried Greek or Italian oregano

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

Two 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g cans chopped tomatoes, with their juice

FOR THE MEAT

3 lb/1.4 kg beef sirloin, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooked penne or farfalle pasta or polenta, for serving

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

TO MAKE THE SAUCE / In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic, onion, and oregano. Sauté for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low while preparing the meat.

TO MAKE THE MEAT / Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the meat, a few pieces at a time. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the beef is tender.

Skim any excess fat from the sauce, taste for seasoning, and stir in the parsley. Serve the meat and sauce over pasta or polenta, sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Beef in Barolo

Barolo has been called the king of Italian wines, with a tradition that goes back to the mid-nineteenth century. Grown in the Piedmont region in Northern Italy, Barolo is a wine that should be served with strong flavors, rather than delicate ones. Beef in Barolo is the quintessential Italian pot roast. The beef marinates in the wine, which also permeates the liquid in the slow cooker. Traditionally served with risotto, this dish is equally delicious served over mashed potatoes Parmigiano or a wide, flat pasta, like pappardelle. I have even served beef in Barolo tucked into crusty rolls for Italian sliders! A heads-up: the beef marinates for 12 hours before it goes into the slow cooker.

SERVES 6

One 750-ml bottle Barolo

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp dried sage (not rubbed)

2 bay leaves

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

One 4-lb/1.8-kg boneless chuck roast (see Slow Cooker Savvy), trimmed of excess fat

¼ lb/115 g pancetta, finely chopped

2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

4 medium carrots, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, including some of the leaves, finely chopped

2 oz/55 g dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

3 tbsp soup base or demi-glace

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the wine, garlic, rosemary, sage, bay leaves, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Place the roast in an extra-large zipper-top plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the beef. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours. Remove the beef from the bag, saving the marinade, and pat dry.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over high heat, and brown the meat on all sides. Transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the pancetta to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until it renders some fat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and porcini and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the marinade to the skillet, stir in the soup base, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.

Remove the meat from the insert, and cover with aluminum foil. Discard the bay leaves, transfer the contents of the insert to a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. 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 thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Carve the meat and serve with the sauce on the side.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

If chuck roast isn’t available, brisket is another choice that works well here.

Bolito Misto with Salsa Verde

Elegant restaurants in Lombardy pride themselues on serving a stellar
bolito misto,
which means “mixed meat boil.” Some restaurants actually haue a rolling trolley that carries the ingredients to the table, with separate compartments to hold the different meats and the broth.
Bolito misto
traditionally has seuen meats and seuen vegetables, and is often served with salsa uerde, a garlicky green sauce. Sometimes the meat is accompanied by a
mostarda,
which is a combination of fruits and mustard seeds, almost like a chutney, which gives the dish a lot of character and flavor.

This mixed boil contains Italian sausage and chicken, as well as the beef. I recommend adding a demi-glace or soup base to the broth, to enrich and deepen the flavor. I love to saue the broth and use it to serve
tortellini en brodo,
another specialty of the area. You will need a 6- to 7-qt/5.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker to make this. If yours is smaller, halue the ingredients and cook for 8 hours on low.

SERVES 6

2 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

3 medium carrots, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm lengths

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

One 4-lb/1.8-kg flat-cut beef brisket

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb/455 g sweet Italian sausage

4 chicken legs, skin removed

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups/960 ml beef broth

¼ cup/60 ml demi-glace or soup base

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salsa Verde (facing page), for serving

Lay the onions and carrots in the bottom of a 6- to 7-qt/5.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, the nutmeg, and rosemary and rub the mixture into the beef. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Add the sausage to the skillet, brown all over, and transfer to the slow cooker. Brown the chicken on all sides in the skillet, and transfer to the slow cooker. Add the garlic and broth to the skillet and bring the broth to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker, and add the demi-glace. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours, until the meats are cooked through and fork-tender.

When the meats are done, carefully remove them from the broth with tongs or a slotted spoon, and transfer to a cutting board or serving platter. Cover with aluminum foil. Skim off any excess fat from the broth, taste for seasoning, and add salt or pepper if needed. Add the parsley to the broth, cover, and set the slow cooker on the warm setting to keep warm. After the beef has rested for 10 minutes, slice into serving pieces, and arrange the chicken and sausage around the beef. Serve the meats in shallow bowls, with some of the broth, and pass the salsa verde on the side.

Salsa Verde

MAKES 2 CUPS/480 ML

This pestolike sauce made with fresh parsley and piquant capers is a terrific complement to Bolito Misto as well as grilled beef, poultry, or seafood. And it makes a delicious spread for panini.

2 cups/120 g packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

½ cup/50 g capers, drained

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

½ tsp salt

½ cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tbsp to float on top

In a food processor or blender, combine the parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, capers, onion, and salt. Pulse on and off to break up the garlic and parsley. With the machine running, slowly pour in the ½ cup/120 ml olive oil, processing or blending until the mixture begins to come together. Transfer as much as you would like to a small serving bowl. Store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, and float the remaining olive oil on the top to prevent discoloration. May also be frozen for up to 1 month.

Short Ribs Bourguignon

Meaty short ribs replace stew meat in this riff on the French classic
boeuf bourguignonne.
The resulting dish yields fork-tender meat falling off the bones, in a rich sauce thickened naturally by the marrow from the bones. The secret to a tasty bourguignon in the slow cooker is to marinate the meat overnight, and then brown the meat and add it to the slow cooker in the morning. A long, lazy simmer for 10 hours, and a bit of finishing, and you have the stew that Julia Child called “one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” I would agree. Serve the stew with Yukon gold potatoes mashed with Boursin cheese, or wide egg noodles to soak up the beefy, wine-flavored sauce.

SERVES 6

4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups/720 ml full-bodied red wine, such as French Burgundy, Merlot, Zinfandel, or Chianti (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 lb/1.8 kg beef short ribs (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

3 tbsp beef soup base or demi-glace (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

2 to 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

¼ lb/115 g pearl onions, peeled

1 lb/455 g cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the olive oil, the wine, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Put the short ribs in an extra-large zipper-top plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the ribs. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Strain the marinade into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the soup base to the marinade and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, and brown the short ribs, a few at a time, transferring them to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker when they’re done. Sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to soften. Pour the marinade into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the marinade to the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 5 hours, until the meat is tender.