On shallow plate, combine salt, pepper, flour, and paprika; stir to blend.
Dredge steaks in this mixture.
In large skillet, combine oil and butter over medium heat.
Brown steaks on both sides, turning once, about 3–4 minutes.
As steaks brown, place in 3-quart slow cooker.
When all the steaks are cooked, add onion and beef broth to skillet.
Cook and stir over medium heat to loosen drippings.
Remove from heat and add apricot preserves to skillet.
Pour contents of skillet into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or until meat is very tender.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serve meat with sauce.
Cube Steak
Cube steaks are usually made of round steak, cut about ½-inch thick and run through a machine which pierces the steak with lots of needles. This helps break the fibers of the meat, resulting in a tender finish. You can also make cube steaks by cutting your own steaks and pounding them with a meat mallet. Or cook them in the slow cooker.
This hearty and rich casserole is perfect for a cold winter night.
Serve it with some warmed flour tortillas, a green salad with a mild
Ranch salad dressing, and a bakery cake for dessert.
In heavy saucepan, cook ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is browned.
Place in 4-quart slow cooker and add rice, bell peppers, and jalapeño.
Pour Stock, water, chili powder, tomato sauce, pepper, and taco sauce into saucepan and bring to a simmer, scraping up pan drippings.
Pour into slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 7–8 hours or until rice is tender.
Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 10 minutes, then serve immediately.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Rice in the Slow Cooker
White rice of any type doesn’t cook very well in the slow cooker, unless it’s mixed in with meat, like Porcupine Meatballs . Brown rice and wild rice, which both take about 40–50 minutes to cook
on the stovetop, do work well in the slow cooker. Follow
directions carefully and cook just until the rice is tender.
Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and toss with flour, salt, and pepper.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan.
Brown the beef in batches, about 5–6 minutes per batch.
Once browned, remove the beef and set aside.
In the same pan, cook the chopped onions and garlic in the drippings for about 3 minutes, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the onion mixture to a 4-quart slow cooker.
Add the beef, beer, thyme, carrots, and beef stock.
Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours, or until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Stir in the dried potato flakes and egg noodles.
Turn the heat to high and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and the stew has thickened.
Stir well and serve hot.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve over egg noodles or with crusty bread to soak up the rich stew.Wine Advice:Pair with a hearty Belgian-style beer or a rich red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the flavors.
You can use plain or flavored tortilla chips in this easy meatloaf as you’d like.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, cook until the juices run clear and the meatloaf is no longer pink in the center.
In large bowl, combine tortilla chips, chili powder, oregano, pepper, buttermilk, egg, and salsa; mix well.
Stir in beef and sausage until just mixed.
Form into an 8-inch ball.
Tear off two 24-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil and fold into thirds lengthwise.
Place crosswise in bottom of 4-quart slow cooker.
Place meatloaf on top.
In small bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, and Tabasco.
Spread over meatloaf.
Cover slow cooker.
Cook on low for 7–8 hours or until meat thermometer registers 165°F.
Using the foil, carefully lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker.
Drain on paper towels for 10 minutes, then slice to serve.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Meatloaf Tips
The critical steps to making meatloaf are to make sure you do not overwork the meat, as this compacts the mixture and makes the meatloaf tough. Remove the meatloaf from the slow cooker, place on serving platter, and let the meatloaf stand, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute.
Finely mince 4 cloves of garlic and place on work surface.
Sprinkle with salt.
With side of knife, work garlic and salt together into a paste.
Place in small bowl and mix with mustard, horseradish, and pepper.
Rub this mixture over the roast.
Place a skillet over medium high heat.
Sear roast on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes total.
Place remaining garlic, onions, and carrots, in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Top with beef. Pour Beef Stock over.
Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours, or until vegetables and beef are very tender.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Beef and the Slow Cooker
Your slow cooker is the ideal appliance to cook a pot roast.
Smaller roasts should be cooked in a smaller slow cooker.
Choose a slow cooker that just fits the meat, leaving about aninch
or two around the sides to allow for heat conduction and
circulation. For larger roasts, an oval slow cooker is the better
choice.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced carrots.
Cook and stir for about 7 minutes until tender.
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the round steak into 4 equal portions.
Trim excess fat and place each piece between sheets of wax paper.
Pound until ¼-inch thick.
Divide the onion mixture evenly among the beef pieces.
Roll up each steak tightly, enclosing the filling, and secure with toothpicks.
On a plate, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
Dredge the beef rolls in the flour mixture.
Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet.
Brown the beef rolls on all sides.
Place the browned beef rolls in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Deglaze the skillet by adding the beef stock, tomato sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a simmer, stirring well.
Pour the sauce over the beef rolls in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours, until the beef is tender.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve the rouladen with its rich sauce, accompanied by mashed potatoes or buttered spaetzle for an authentic German meal.Wine Advice:A bold German Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) or a dry Riesling pairs beautifully with this slow-cooked dish.
On a shallow plate, mix the flour, salt, paprika, and pepper.
Dredge the roast in the flour mixture, coating all sides.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Brown the roast on both sides, turning once, for 5–8 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots in a 5–6 quart slow cooker.
Lay the browned roast on top of the vegetables.
Pour ¼ cup water and the condensed tomato soup into the saucepan.
Bring to a boil while scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
Pour the liquid over the roast in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8–10 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are very tender.
If a thicker gravy is desired, remove the roast from the slow cooker and cover with foil.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the remaining ¾ cup water.
Stir the mixture into the slow cooker liquid.
Cover and cook on high for 20–30 minutes, or until the gravy thickens.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve with crusty bread and a fresh green salad for a complete meal.Wine Advice:Pair with a bold red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to complement the richness of the beef.
