Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Sep 24

Written By

There are few things I love more in this world than produce. The Lord, my family, friends, etc...of course I love them more than produce...that goes without saying.

What I mean is, I'd rather have a freezer full of beef than a nice Cashmere coat.

I'd rather have a pickup load of potatoes than a new Lexus.

I'd rather have a giant bag of fresh herbs than a new pair of shoes.

It's true.

That make define me as 'clinically insane' by today's standards. But it's still true.

I see God in produce - in the details and goodness of His Creation. The smell of rosemary...

The scent of freshly harvested basil...

Or thyme...

He created these herbs! He created their scents and tastes! Isn't that incredible to think about?

I am very thankful that this past weekend, my dear friend Lisa saved these herbs for me. We enjoyed a fellowship meal at their house on Friday night and she sent me home with a giant bag of sweet smelling goodness. I was giddy like a five year old the whole way home. The world of herb-scented possibilities that lay before me was tantalizing!

Saturday, I decided to use the last of our potatoes to make a slow-cooking beef stew. It was just one of those perfect stew days. I had a loaf of homemade baguette left over from our Friday night dinner - the perfect addition to any stew. Couple that with the wonderful platter of fresh herbs I had sitting on my kitchen counter and you're in stew heaven, baby.

At least this stew allows me to pretend like it's fall outside. I'll roll with it.

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
You will need:
- 1 pound of grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 pound of potatoes, diced (however big or small you like 'em)
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup of millet, optional (I used this because I didn't have quite enough potatoes...by all means, omit if you have enough potatoes. It is quite lovely in the stew, though)
- 1 cup of red wine
- 1/2 cup of tomato sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of high-quality dijon mustard
- 6-8 cups of homemade chicken broth or beef broth (use enough to cover all the veggies)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A bundle of fresh herbs (I used a large stem of rosemary and a large stem of thyme) OR 1-2 teaspoons each of dried

Step One: Throw all of this together in a crock-pot. Allow it to simmer slowly for 6-8 hours on high or 4 hours on low. I find it easiest to throw it together after breakfast. That way, I can have the kitchen cleaned and enjoy the savory smell all day long. Yes, please!

You could also throw it all together in a Dutch oven, bring it to a simmer, cover, and keep on low until you're ready to enjoy it. Same results.

How cool is it that this recipe only has one step?

And sorry I didn't take any pictures. It was just that sort of day.

I do love browning my meat and softening my vegetables before allowing a stew to simmer - building a base, if you will - but again, some days just aren't that type of day. Some days, it's more important to get food on the table.

And seriously, this stew is fantastic. Especially with the fresh herbs.

Lastly, if you don't have red wine, you can sub half a beer instead. It really adds a wonderful flavor - don't skip it.

I wish we ate more beef. I love it. Red meat = yum.

Alas, we have a grocery budget we must adhere to. And since we sold our quarter-steer before we moved down to Alabama, red meat is a rare treat on the homestead.

Maybe that's why this stew tasted so dang good.

Either way, I hope you enjoy it!