Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [73]
Porcini Pot Roast
This melt-in-your mouth pot roast gets its punch from the addition of dried thyme and porcini mushrooms. The resulting braise, flavored with red wine and cremini mushrooms, is a great entrée for company, as well as a weeknight dinner.
One 4-pound sirloin roast
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, quartered
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or broth (see savvy)
rub the roast with the garlic, salt, and pepper, coating evenly. Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on all sides. Transfer the roast to a 5- to 7-quart slow-cooker insert.
add the onions and thyme to the pan over medium-high heat and sauté until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the cremini mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes, until the mushroom liquid evaporates.
transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert. Put the porcini mushrooms and wine in a small bowl and soak the mushrooms for 10 minutes. Add the wine mixture and broth to the slowcooker insert. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
remove the roast from the slow cooker, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture, stir to combine, and bring back to a boil.
slice the roast and serve the sauce on the side.
serves 8
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thickener savvy
An old chef’s trick for thickening sauces is beurre manié, or kneaded butter. Take equal parts all-purpose flour and softened unsalted butter and knead them together to make a paste. Bring the sauce to a boil and whisk in a few bits of the beurre manié, bringing the sauce back to a boil after each addition. This is an easy way to fix a sauce that may not be as thick as you would like.
Sirloin Teriyaki
Sirloin marinated in Asian flavors and accompanied by sticky rice and an Asian slaw is the perfect dinner for friends and family. Marinate the meat the day before, put it all in the slow cooker, and inhale the delicious aromas of garlic, ginger, soy, and beef all day long.
2/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup rice wine (mirin)
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 2½- to 3-pound sirloin roast (tri-tip or triangle sirloin works well here)
2 cups beef broth
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water
Chopped green onions for garnishing
Sesame seeds for garnishing
combine the soy sauce, oil, rice wine, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Add the sirloin to the bag, seal, and turn to coat the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
pour the marinade and the meat into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the broth and onions. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.
remove the meat from the insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Taste the sauce and dilute it with water or broth if it is too strong.
add the cornstarch mixture and bring the sauce back to a boil, whisking constantly, until it is thickened. Keep the sauce warm on the stovetop, or transfer it to the slow cooker set on warm.
slice the meat and serve with the sauce, and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.
serves 6–8