Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [80]
skim off any fat from the cooking liquid and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Stir in the ketchup and simmer for 20 minutes, until thickened.
slice the brisket across the grain to serve, accompanied by some of the sauce.
serves 8
Ground Beef
There are many varieties of ground beef. The leanest ground beef has only 5 percent fat but is usually not very tasty. I recommend using ground beef with 15 percent fat. Ground chuck generally has the most flavor, and you can ask the butcher to grind it fresh for you. Some fat is necessary to keep the beef moist and tasty.
Meat Loaf
Meat loaf, once relegated to the category of “mystery meat” in cafeterias around the country, has now gained recognition as a culinary comfort food. It’s not just diner fare anymore! Meat loaf is a formula in some respects, with different seasonings and sauces changing the flavor. It’s simple to prepare a meat loaf; the loaf can be shaped the day before and refrigerated until you are ready to place it in the slow cooker with the sauce. Meat loaf sandwiches are a great reward the day after! Make sure to cook the meat loaf on high for the first hour to guard against any bacteria growth in the raw meat.
Meat Loaf Italiano with Chunky Tomato Sauce
This meat loaf is one from my childhood. Redolent with garlic, herbs, and pungent Pecorino-Romano, it’s delicious with pasta, polenta, or garlic mashed potatoes.
MEAT LOAF
3 slices soft-crusted Italian bread, torn into pieces (about 2/3 cup)
½ cup milk
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
8 ounces lean ground pork
8 ounces ground veal
8 ounces bulk Italian sweet sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
put the bread and milk in a large mixing bowl and allow the bread to absorb the milk. Combine the meats in the bowl. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, basil, and marjoram and sauté until the onion and garlic are fragrant, about 3 minutes.
cool the mixture and transfer to the mixing bowl. Add the eggs and cheese. Using clean hands or a large wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until they are well combined, being careful not to compact the mixture.
pat the meat into a loaf 6 to 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 2 to 3 inches tall. Cover and refrigerate, up to 24 hours, while you make the sauce.
CHUNKY TOMATO SAUCE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
Three 32-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes, with their juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, bell peppers, oregano, and basil and sauté until the bell peppers soften, about 3 minutes.
add the balsamic vinegar, reduce the heat, and cook, swirling the pan, until the vinegar is reduced by half and looks syrupy. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes and brown sugar.
transfer the meat loaf to the cooker and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Cook the meat loaf on high for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 hours, until the meat loaf registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
remove the meat loaf from the cooker, using two long and wide spatulas. Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Cut into ½-inch slices with a serrated knife and season with salt and pepper.
skim off any fat from the top of the sauce, and season with the salt and pepper.
serve the meat loaf napped with a bit of the sauce, and serve