Slow Cooked Mexican Beef
This recipe is taken from Healthy Comfort Dishes.
The slow cooker is the busy person’s best friend at this time of year. It only takes me a few minutes to get this in the pot, where I can then just leave it to do it’s magic, before coming back at the end of the day to a rich, delicious and nourishing stew. It is wonderful served with some mashed root vegetables of your choice, I particularly like to use celeriac. Plus if you have any leftovers, it freezes well in portions for another day.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, then I have also suggested how you can make it in a conventional oven, too.
You’ll Need (Serves 6-8)
- 1 – 1.2 kilo braising steak, cut into in bite sized chunks
- 1 tin cherry tomatoes
- 1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tin white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
- 700ml good beef stock
- 6 shallots, whole, or 2 onions, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 6 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp hot paprika
- 2 dried ancho chili, whole
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp salt
- A generous grind of black pepper
- Small bunch of parsley
Step-by-Step
- Brown the meat in a pan and add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, then cook for a further 3 hours uncovered.
- If you do not have a slow cooker, put the browned meat and other ingredients in a large casserole dish, bring to the boil on the hob, then cover and put in a pre-heated oven at 170/150 fan for about 5-6 hours, the last 1-2 hours uncovered to reduce liquid.
- Before serving, check that the meat is tender and the liquids thickened; cook for a bit longer if it looks too thin, or add some liquid if it looks too dry (this will depend on the size and heat of your cooker).
- Remove the cinnamon stick and the dried chili, if they haven’t broken up. Taste for seasoning, adding a little more salt, or chili if needed. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.