Easy and Excellent Slow Cooker Braised Beef

This is the simplest recipe I have developed for braised beef, but it is astonishingly good. You can use shanks, short ribs, or a pot roast cut. To speed the morning preparation, brown the beef the night before and refrigerate. Load everything in the cooker in the morning and revel in your forethought come suppertime.

Braised beef shanks with a side of Maple Walnut Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

3 lbs beef shanks, short ribs, or similar
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
1 head garlic, unpeeled
3/4 cup dry red wine
Beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, then lightly oil all over.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper all over. Place in a baking pan, then brown in the oven for at least 10 minutes per side.  If desired, refrigerate for up to a few days before slow cooking.

Separate the head of garlic into cloves but do not peel. Place the garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pay the browned beef on top of the garlic. Pour in the red wine, then add enough beef stock to cover the meet about three quarters of the way. Top with the sprigs of thyme or a sprinkling of dried thyme. Cover the cooker and cook on Low for 7-9 hours, until meet is very tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, or with a side of roasted potatoes or root vegetables, with plenty of the braising liquid spooned over the meat.

Serves 4-6.

Classic Red Wine-Braised Beef Shanks

Braising beef in red wine is a classic treatment, and with good reason.  I used beef shanks from our cow share, but virtually any good braising cut would work here: shanks, short ribs, even pot roast.  Serve this with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

2 1/2 - 3 lbs beef shanks (about 3 large)
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 small onion, quartered
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
Beef stock

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Coat the beef all over with oil, then sprinkle liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.  Brown well in the oven, 10-15 minutes per side.  (You can do this on the stovetop if you prefer, but I find it too smoky.)

While the beef browns in the oven, heat a little canola oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot.  Add the garlic, onion, and carrot and brown them a bit.  Stir in the thyme.  When the veggies are browned, deglaze the pan with the wine, then reduce heat to a simmer while you wait (if necessary) for the beef to finish browning.

When the beef is browned, add it to the pot with the vegetables and wine.  Add enough beef stock to cover the meat about three quarters of the way.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low and simmer for 2-3 hours.  The beef is done when it is very tender and falling off the bones.

To serve, remove the beef from the pot and separate it from the bones.  Cut into pieces if desired, and remove any excess connective tissue that remains.  If you want to get fancy, you can strain the braising liquid then return it to the stove and reduce it to make a sauce.  Otherwise, just serve the meat over mashed potatoes or noodles with a spoonful of braising liquid poured over.

Serves about 4.

Red Wine and Shallot Braised Lamb Shoulder

Lamb should roast is one of those really flavorful, less expensive cuts that responds beautifully to slow moist cooking. The method used here submerges the meat only about a third to half way, allowing the exposed side to brown nicely.

I really liked this red wine, shallot, and tarragon treatment. I think it would also be excellent with a beef roast prepared the same way (substituting beef stock for the chicken stock in that case).

2-3 lb lamb shoulder roast
Salt and pepper
3 large shallots, sliced
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 cup red wine (more as needed)
2 cups chicken broth

Be sure to take the lamb out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to let it approach room temperature. Season it liberally with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Take a small roasting pan or oven-proof Dutch oven that will just accomodate the lamb. Place the sliced shallots in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle the tarragon over them. Place the lamb on top of the shallots, then pour in the wine and chicken broth. It should come about halfway up the meat.

Roast the lamb for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, turn it over, and dd more wine, broth, and/or water if the liquid level seems too low (try to keep it about a third of the way up the meat). Roast for another 30 minutes. Turn it over again and roast 20-30 minutes more. At this point it should be extremely tender. If it's not quite done, turn over again and roast another 20 minutes.

When the lamb is done, remove it to a warm platter. If you used a Dutch oven, place it on the stove top and simmer the cooking liquid (including shallots) until it reduces nicely. If you used a roasting pan, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and reduce.

Carve the lamb as best you can (this roast contains a lot of bones). Pass the sauce at the table.

Serves 3-4.

Local Wine

Mineral Hills Winery in Florence opens tomorrow with sales of its wine (apple, grape, and honey)! Tours and tastings every Friday-Sunday or by appointment. Check it out.