The Florida Foodie
Dining In: All Hail the Crockpot
By Saucy Sarah
Invented in 1971 and mass produced by the Rival Company under the name “Crock*Pot” the humble slow cooker has been a staple wedding gift and dust collector of the American cannon. A beautifully simple notion; dump a bunch of stuff in a pot, turn it on, go to work, come home to a hot meal. A perfect example of the American dream. Yes, Virginia, you can have it all.
Sadly, the slow cooking method nearly died out in the 80’s and 90’s with our rush for everything to be instantaneous, including our meals. We simply did not have the time to throw everything into the pot before dashing out into our busy lives. But, alas, we have entered a renaissance and the somewhat clunky, tortoise-like cooker has had a resurgence as America returns to a “slow food” movement. We have a hole we are longing to fill with stews, braised meats, and 8-hour chili. Crockpot cookery is not merely convenience or “slow food”, it is soul food. It is about the melding of flavors over a good long cook. It is about the aromas that welcome you home when you come through the door. The crockpot is the king of comfort foods and as we enter winter there is nothing we crave more than a meal that sticks to the ribs, sooths our weary, holiday zapped bones better than a hearty, steaming bowl of something hot and delicious.
Crockpots have come a long way from their origins. Today, you can buy one in a variety of sizes and serving a myriad of functions. There are styles that sear right in the pot. There are digital panels or more classic knob models. Some even will cook your meal then keep it at a nice warm temperature till you arrive home. I own four different crockpots and just received a new “buffet” crockpot which hold three different dishes at once. They are great for parties and tailgating as well, keeping food perfectly warm for hours at a time. The new cookbook I just bought even teaches you how to bake bread in the thing! As a devout follower of the Alton Brown Philosophy that no kitchen tool shall be a uni-tasker (having one use) the crockpot is a cook’s dream.
So this January, I encourage you to dig yours out (you know you have one buried somewhere in your house) and dust the thing off and put it to use. Rediscover the greatness that is the Crockpot this winter and feed your soul with a warm hearty dish.
Here is my favorite Crockpot recipe: Simplified French Beef Stew
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs Chuck steak, cubed into 2 inch cubes
- ½ package Bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 bottle of good red wine
- 2 yellow onions, quartered
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
- A bunch of fresh thyme
- 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 bag frozen pearl onions
- 1 package fresh button mushrooms, small
- Cornstarch
Method:
- Brown bacon in a hot pan. Remove bacon when cooked, add to Crockpot. Reserve bacon fat in pan for browning meat.
- Brown chuck steak cubes in a hot pan till each side is nicely browned. Do not crowd the pan. Brown in batches and remove cubes to the crock pot.
- Add to Crockpot: browned meat, cooked bacon, quartered onions, canned tomatoes, garlic, wine, and thyme.
- Cook in Crockpot on low setting for 6-7 hours.
- Remove the meat from liquid. Strain liquid and discard all of the vegetables and herbs.
- Add meat back to strained liquid.
- In a pan, brown pearl onions and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. Add to the meat and wine cooking liquid.
- Re-heat stew. Add cornstarch slurry (mix 2 tbls of cornstarch with a 1/2c of chicken stock or wine, make sure it is cool liquid).
- Serve over egg noodles, white rice, or, my favorite, mashed potatoes.
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In her previous life, Sarah, a Palm Beach County Native, spent ten years working in various high-end eating establishments around South Florida. She is currently a fiction thesis candidate in the MFA program at Florida International University where she also teaches creative writing and rhetoric. If that is not enough, Sarah is also the owner of Cakes by Sarah, a local custom cake shop. Sarah lives in Lake Worth with her husband and two beautiful boys. “Food, fiction, and family are my life.”