Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Beef Stew, an easy and comforting dish perfect for a cold winter night.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew, an easy and comforting dish perfect for a cold winter night.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 3 potatoes diced
- 4 carrots sliced
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- Carbohydrate 28.3777236111213 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.401241111166904 g
- Fiber 4.71348061463568 g
- Protein 3.61476083362244 g
- Saturated Fat 0.116237777805674 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (388g)
- Sodium 149.248000082675 mg
- Sugar 23.6642429964856 g
- Trans Fat 0.0801594444469806 g
- Calories 126 calories
Step-by-step
- Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.
Selecting between a ten-hour low temperature cycle and a four-hour high setting dictates the entire physical outcome of the dish. Tough cuts like chuck or round contain dense collagen networks that require sustained heat below boiling point to melt completely into gelatin, transforming a chewy muscle fiber into a succulent bite. Cooking too rapidly at a boil tightens protein strands, squeezing out moisture and leaving the beef permanently dry.
Starch behavior complicates this thermal equation. Tossing the beef cubes in all-purpose flour before adding liquids serves a dual purpose. As heat rises, the starch granules hydrate and swell, thickening the surrounding beef broth while simultaneously forming a protective matrix around the exterior of the meat. Meanwhile, aromatic compounds from garlic, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce undergo Maillard reactions and umami synergy during the prolonged simmer, building depth without requiring additional fats.
Root vegetables introduce a structural hazard during extended cooking windows. Potatoes and carrots contain pectin that softens as natural acids and heat break down cell walls. Cooking beyond twelve hours risks turning firm cubes into pureed starch. Cutting the root vegetables into uniform one-and-one-half-inch pieces ensures they retain structural integrity by the time the collagen fully liquefies.
