Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: slow cooker beef in red wine

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Slow Cooked Beef in Red Wine #Easter #recipe by Linda Wiken, author

If a chilly Easter weekend is forecast in your area, here's a warm and filling meal that will be waiting for you after Maundy Thursday services. Just turn on your slow cooker in the morning, and you'll have an easy evening meal ready for when you are.

In my next book, Marinating in Murder which comes out March, 2018, J.J. Tanner needed to come up with a last minute recipe. That's what happens when you invite your Dinner Club over without giving it much thought. Of course, thoughts of the murder investigation were uppermost in her mind.

So, J.J. and I, pulled a new cookbook off the shelves, The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone and found this wonderful recipe for beef in red wine, done in a slow cooker. Now, neither J.J. nor I can leave a recipe alone, so we added some ingredients along the way, switched-out others, and gave it a try. What I found, thanks to the advice at my local liquor store, was the better the wine, the better the end result.

The family loved it and really, it was so easy, it's going to be one of my go-to recipes when I have but a day's notice for hosting a dinner. Or, as I mentioned, ready and waiting for an after church service meal.

Here's what I used:

1 1/2 lb. beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (I chose round roast but use your favorite cut; chuck or blade works well)
1/2 c. diced tomatoes
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
Himalayan and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c. red wine (I used an oak-barreled Merlot Reserva)
1 c. beef bouillon mix or stock
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch with enough water to make a paste

Here's what to do:

1. Peel, slice, and chop the parsnips, celery, onion, and garlic. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker along with the sprigs of rosemary and thyme.

2. Pat the meat dry and then slice into 2-inch cubes.

3. Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan and when hot, add the beef. Reduce heat to medium and stir to get all sides browned, for about 15 min.

4. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and place on top of vegetables. Add the wine to juices remaining in the pan and bring to a simmer for about 1 min.

5. Pour over the beef in the slow cooker; add the diced tomatoes and the beef broth. Season with sale and pepper.

6. Cover and cook for about 8 hours at low temperature setting. Remove from juices when finished cooking. Add the cornstarch paste mix and stir, if you want a thicker sauce. Otherwise, use as is.

7. Serve with rice or potatoes and a green vegetable, such as broccoli or brussel sprouts.

ROUX THE DAY, A Dinner Club Mystery is now available in paper and as an e-book.