Editors of Martha Stewart Living - Martha Stewarts Slow Cooker: 110 Recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes (Including Desserts!), Plus Test- Kitchen Tips and Strategies

Meat

The Basics

It is the classic rags-to-riches tale, unexpectedly told by a slow cooker: The story begins with, say, a pork shoulder being placed in the crock, along with some seasonings and aromatics. Time slowly passes. Out comes something tender and rich, with a complex and well-developed flavor.

The shoulder and other tough cutsthink lamb shanks, pork butt, beef brisket, short ribs, and chuckcome from the hard-worked muscles that support the animals weight and movement. They tend to be marbled with fat and connective tissue that, when exposed to low, slow heat, break down and render the meat moist and succulent. Yes, theyre good for stovetop or conventional oven braising and stewing, but they are also perfect choices for the slow cooker (bear in mind that with the lid tightly on, moisture doesnt burn off, so sauces do not thicken as they do with braising). Leave the meat on the bone when you can, tooit will intensify the flavor as it cooks.

If you want to encourage caramelizingand with it, the sought-after complexity of flavorsit can help to brown the meat in a skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop before putting it into the cooker, or roast or broil it in a very hot oven for a few minutes right after it comes out. Searing meat beforehand helps it to develop a nice crust and generally improves the overall texture of the finished dish.

For all the showstopping, out-of-the-ordinary main dishes you can prepare with the slow cookerlike warming Roasted Five-Spice Pork with Udon or silky Persian Lamb Stew or Hawaiian-Style Short Ribsdont overlook it when youre craving homey classics like Spaghetti Bolognese or Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze. After all, the machine lends itself to a world of kitchen possibilitiesnewly discovered favorites and longtime familiar comforts alike.

Recipes

Brisket and Onions

SERVES 6

This slow-cooked wonder of wonders requires just a handful of ingredients. And you can truly set it up in the morning and let it braise all day. Garnish with little more than a jar of horseradish (or the freshly grated root, if you can find it) and some fresh parsley; egg noodles are nice on the side. Brisket tastes even better when made a day or two ahead, and leftovers make the worlds greatest sandwiches.

large onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

first cut of beef brisket (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

cups low-sodium chicken broth, store-bought or homemade ()

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Prepared horseradish, for serving

Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Combine onion and garlic in the slow cooker. Season brisket with salt and pepper, and place, fat side up, on top of onion and garlic. Add broth. Cover and cook on high until brisket is fork-tender, about 6 hours (or on low for 12 hours). Remove brisket and slice against the grain. Moisten with cooking liquid, and top with onion slices and parsley. Serve with horseradish. (Brisket can be made ahead and stored in cooking liquid, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week. Reheat in a 300F oven.)

Tip

A whole brisket is made up of a first cut and a second cut. For this recipe, look for the leaner first cut, or flat cut. Ask your butcher to trim the layer of fat on the brisket down to inch, which is enough to keep the meat moist and tender as it cooks.

Beef and Black Bean Chili

SERVES 4

True Texas chili is widely recognized as a bowl of beef chuck that has been seasoned with dried chiles, tomatoes, and spices and simmered until its meltingly tender. Beans, if included at all, are most often pintos. This recipe swaps in black beans for variety and chili powder (a mix of ground chiles and spices such as oregano and cumin) for convenience.

cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

pound beef chuck, cut into -inch chunks

can (15 ounces) tomato puree

red onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves, minced

tablespoons chili powder

cups hot water

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Sour cream, diced jalapeo, chopped avocado, and grated cheddar cheese or crumbled queso fresco, for serving

Place beans in a bowl; cover with water by several inches. Refrigerate, covered, overnight; drain. (To quick soak, cover beans in a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 hour; drain.)

Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add beans. Add beef, tomato puree, onion (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), garlic, chili powder, the hot water, 2 teaspoons salt, and teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high until chili has thickened and beans are tender, 6 hours (or on low for 8 hours). Serve with sour cream, reserved onion, jalapeo, avocado, and cheese.

Sicilian-Style Beef Stew

SERVES 4 TO 6

Mediterranean flavorstomatoes, shallots, fennel, rosemary, orange zest, green olives, and red wineabound in this standout supper. In testing, we found that the beef chuck tasted better when we seasoned it with salt and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. We like to serve it over olive-oil mashed potatoes, with more red wine alongside.

pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed, meat cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

shallots, thinly sliced

cup dry red wine

can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

fennel bulb, cut into -inch wedges

rosemary sprig

(1-inch) strips orange zest, plus wedges for serving

cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano

Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and half the beef in a single layer; cook, turning a few times, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining oil and beef.

Add shallots and wine to skillet; cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Crush tomatoes and stir in with their juices, fennel, rosemary, and zest. Cover and cook on high until meat is fork-tender, about 4 hours (or on low for 9 hours).

Stir in olives, and season with salt and pepper. Remove rosemary sprig, and serve stew with orange wedges.

Beef Stroganoff

SERVES 8

Youll notice an interesting trick in our recipe for this favorite. After the meat and vegetables are cooked for several hours, we make a slurry and boil it very briefly (one minute!), just until thickened. Then it is stirred into the meat mixture, off the heat, with sour cream and mustard, for a luxuriously creamy finish that you wouldnt get from the slow cooker itself.

pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and sliced (about inch thick and 3 inches long)