Crocktober 17, 2017
Hello there, Slow Cookerers!!
Also called "Azores Stew" or "Molha de Carne" this traditional Portuguese stew is packed with beef, potatoes, tomatoes, carrot, and garlic.
The seasoning comes from allspice, cumin, and
cinnamon which means that it's a phenomenal choice for a chilly fall evening.
There's no reason to always have the same flavor each time you make beef stew! Mix it up! Cooking should be fun and playful -- that's why I always joke that the CrockPot is like anEasy Bake
Oven [affiliate link] for grown ups!
:-)
The
Ingredients.
serves 6 ish (freezes nicely!)
1 pound beef chuck stew meat
5 to 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
2 potatoes, chopped in 1 inch chunks (no need to peel)
3 green onions, chopped (white and green)
3 cups beef stock
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters, or 2 large chopped tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
2
tablespoons kosher salt (1 used 1 T, but then added some more to taste near the end of cooking time)
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon all spice
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cinnamon sticks
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart crockpot.
Anything
over 4 quarts will work just fine.
Put the meat into your crockpot. If you are using frozen meat, it's fine, just know it will take longer to cook and get tender.
Add the broth. Chop up the tomatoes, potatoes (ha, that rhymed!), green onion, and garlic. Throw it in.
Stir in the salt, red pepper, all spice and cumin.
Float the bay leaf on top and add 2 cinnamon sticks.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6.
Stew
tastes better the longer and slower you cook it.
Be sure to fish out the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves before serving!
The Verdict.
We ALL ate this! Hooray!
Very good stew. It has a fantastic cinnamony flavor, but it isn't sicky sweet or weird.
It's just good. Very, very good.
I will be making this again. I like to buy stew meat in bulk, and it will be wonderful to switch up my stew
repertoire.
There is a bit of heat, here, from the red chili flakes. 1/2 Tablespoon is 1 1/2 teaspoons -- if that sounds like it's going to be too hot for you and your family, then taper down. It was okay with us, but we like spice.
take care,
steph
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