Pamz Rocking the Pot: Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew

I have mentioned this before, but I can't help but love southern cuisine I acquired when I lived in Atlanta.  The Southeners seem to excel in comfort food, often producing wonderful meals with unexpected flavours.   Our regular routine at home is to do "fridge maintenance" to ensure no perishable food goes untouched.  When I saw that I still had half a bottle of apple cider (left from my Christmas stuffing and gravy recipes) which was going to expire in another week, and some stew beef in the freezer, I was thrilled to come across some recipes online for apple cider beef stew.

The Slow Cooker: 

I hadn't pulled out the slow cooker in a while so decided to put together a stew for our Saturday night meal.  I haven't used my slow cooker in some time as I am usually around the house during the day and  prefer my dutch oven and the results that lots of simmer time on the stove or in the oven produce.  Slow cooker meals can turn out to  flavourless or have  too much liquid,  and while I have a few tried and true recipes, just not a fan of the slow cooker for the sake of using a slow cooker. The upside of slow cooker cooking is that you end up with one pot to clean at the end of the day, don't need to touch it all day long, and fill the house with tantalizng smells. 

Rocking the Pot Tip #1: Brown the Meat!  The most successful recipes I have tried over the years started with browning the meat first in a frying pan before putting into the crock pot.  You add a little liquid and flour with spices which help  produce a rich gravy.  I often see recipes where you just toss the meat in and thicken at the end...not quite the same richness in flavour.   Take the extra step.

Rocking the Pot Tip #2: Use what you have:  I started with the premise of finding a use for apple cider.  You can also make a sweet soup with butternut squash.  Be creative in your choice of vegetables, but think of root vegetables to take a while to cook.  We love parsnips so always have them on hand. I chop my potatoes in larger chunks since they tend to break down over the long cooking period.

Pamz Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tbsp. flour

2 onions cut into small cubes

3 cups fresh apple cider (not juice)

2 cups beef stock

2 carrots cut into 1/2" cubes

3 potatoes (southerners don't peel their potatoes!) cut into quarters

3 sprigs fresh thyme

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

1. Brown your meat in a large frying pan for 10 minutes, rotating so you get a good crust. 
2. Add onions and cook a few minutes to soften.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and let cook for a minute.
4. Pour a 1/2 cup of  cider into the pan to  and cook for another minute to make a paste.  Add more cider to help deglaze and scrap all the bits off the bottom of the pan. 
5. Empty the contents into your crock pot.  If you wanted a head start you can do the first four steps the night before and chop all the vegetables.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients.  If you want a sweeter stew you can omit the beef stock, but I loved the deeper beef flavour.
7. Cook on low for 8 hours.