Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker beef & mushrooms
This simple chuck steak and mushroom slow cooker recipe will become a high-rotation family favourite. And bonus, it’s great for leftovers! If you’d like, reserve one third of the beef and mushroom mixture and use the leftovers on another night to make a quick ragu (see notes below recipe). The remaining two-thirds will serve six for dinner.
“Casseroles, curries, braises and stews freeze really well. Make a double batch and freeze one for another night.” – Julie Goodwin
Ingredients
Method
Combine the flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl and toss the beef through.
In a large heavy-based frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Shake excess flour from beef. Brown one-third of meat on all sides and remove to bowl of a slow cooker. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons of oil and beef.
Lower the heat to medium and add the last tablespoon of oil. Cook onions and garlic until soft but not brown. Add mushrooms to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms have softened. Add tomato paste and thyme, and stir for 1 minute. Pour in red wine, followed by beef stock; bring to boil. Tip stock mixture into slow cooker and cook, covered, on High setting for 3 hours. Remove lid and cook for a further hour, stirring occasionally, or until meat is falling apart.
Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables, if desired.
What to serve with the slow cooker beef
Leftovers hack: Beef ragu
It’s easy to turn any leftovers into a beautiful beef ragu with pappardelle. Save one third of the beef stew and coarsely shred remaining beef mixture. Place into a large frying pan over low-medium heat; cook, covered, until hot.
Meanwhile, cook 750g fresh pappardelle in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture in the pan; toss gently to combine. Serve with grated parmesan and a few extra thyme leaves.
What is chuck steak?
An inexpensive cut from the neck and shoulder area that’s perfect for slow cooking where it becomes beautifully tender and flavoursome. Gravy beef can also be used for this recipe. Both gravy beef and chuck steak work well for slow cooker recipes as they contain lots of gelatinous connective tissue which breaks down during the long cooking time and helps keep the meat moist.
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