At a distant dorm, my friends and I shared the cooking facilities, each week rotating to the next person, who would make something for us all to share. I improvised a beef stew, where wine was the only cooking liquid, and was most gratified when everyone liked it.
It reminds me of that stew and those days, but it somehow cannot match the flavor of my recollection. And it also answers the question, “Why do I have a partial box of tapioca?”
2 pounds boneless beef chuck pot roast
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil (optional)
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
6 medium carrots, cut into 1-½-inch pieces
1 9 ounce package frozen cut green beans
½ 16 ounce package frozen small whole onions (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 cup Burgundy wine
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
- Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. If desired, in a large skillet cook meat, half at a time, in hot oil over medium heat until brown. Drain off fat.
- Place meat in a 3-½- or 4-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca. Stir in carrots, green beans, onions, and garlic. Pour broth and Burgundy over meat mixture in cooker.
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. Sprinkle each serving with crumbled bacon. Makes 6 servings.
Recipes out of the Blond Box 