This slow cooked dish isn’t going to win me points for authenticity but it is tasty, easy to make and kid friendly :).
My youngsters insist on having the sour cream (that you would normally mix through) on the side and they are not mushroom fans. I feel however, that you need mushrooms for a richer flavour. My solution is to use whole ‘cup’ or button mushrooms and that seems to avoid turning dinner into a picking out bits of chopped mushroom exercise :).
You will be:
- Preparing your ingredients.
- Browning the beef and softening the vegetables.
- Cooking low and slow.
- Serving.
You will need:
- Ingredients:
- 1kg of beef (I used rump steak), cubed
- A few slugs of olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, sliced
- 2 -3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp paprika, ground
- 3 medium mushrooms (I used ‘cup’), whole or chopped
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- Table salt to taste
- Black peppercorns to taste, ground
- 2 cups home-made stock (I only had chicken to hand)
- A good slug of tomato paste
- A good slug of Worcestershire sauce
- A handful of small or chopped mushrooms (optional)
- Equipment:
- 1 long sharp knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 fry pan
- 1 slow cooker
- 1 mixing jug
- 1 whisk or fork
Prepare your ingredients
- Turn your slow cooker onto medium and add a slug of oil, lid on.
- Cube the 1kg of beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice the 1 brown onion.
- Peel and finely dice the 2 -3 garlic cloves.
- Peel and chop the 2 carrots.
- Rinse the 3 ‘cup’ mushrooms and rough chop them if you prefer.
Browning the beef and softening the vegetables
- Heat a slug of olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat.
- Brown the beef and then add it to the slow cooker along with the whole or chopped mushrooms.
- Add a bit more oil to the fry pan if you need it (I didn’t).
- Throw into the fry pan the
- onions
- garlic
- carrots
- tomato paste
- stock
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- a good slug of Worcestershire sauce
- Give everything a gentle but thorough mix, cooking on medium heat until the onions have softened.
- Pour the contents of the fry pan into the slow cooker.
Cooking low and slow
1. Cover and cook on medium for 4 to 5 hours and the sauce is somewhat reduced.
Serving
My kids prefer that I take the mushrooms out before I serve the dish on a bed of rice and steamed greens. I then give everyone a very healthy dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy,
PK