Need ideas for using braising steak!

nickyhutch

Good morning people!

I'm getting my braising steak out of the freezer to cook in the slow cooker. I'm a slow coker (almost) virgin. What do I need to put in there with it? I was thinking onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, red wine and stock - how does that sound?

odds-n-sods

I'd leave the peppers out until 30 minutes before you plan on eating, they'll disintegrate otherwise, but yes, that sounds good; brown the meat on the stove first, then swish some of the stock in the hot pan to get the crusty bits off the bottom to add to the SC. Potatoes would be good as well, celery, too.

nickyhutch

Oooh celery - yes yes yes. I love celery! Thanks very much, I'll do just that.

Pink.

Hi nicky,

What you have planned sounds good. Like odds has said I like to brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker but many people don't.

These older threads might help too:

Just Loving it! My New Slow Cooker Braising Steak Ideas?

Need ideas for using braising steak!

Pink

nickyhutch

Brilliant - thankyou!

denise_h_2

rchddap1 wrote: »

Just what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the info. Do people usually set it up and then just leave it to it? I leave the house at 7.30am and so no-one would be around to keep an eye on it (well...until 4pm anyway) . I assume that this is perfectly safe.

If I got a plug timer thingy would that automatically turn it on at the right time?

I have often prepared a casserole the night before and stored it in the fridge. Then in the morning I have tipped it into a saucepan and bought it to the boil. Whilst this is happening I plug in the cooker to start warming through. When stew has come to boil, tipped it into cooker, popped lid on and forgot about it until I return home in the evening. Never had any problems.

In fact I made a casserole at about 9:00 this morning (had gone to Asda with hubby to do shopping at 7:00, and got some very nice steak - one of their specials of 3 packs of meat for £10 - chose steak, lamb and fresh beefburgers) and had it for tea about 4:30 this afternoon

There was enough steak for the casserole and a small amount to freeze. There were 12 large burgers which I split into 3 lots of 4 and froze down - separated the burgers with baking paper before putting into bags so they dont stick together. The lamb steaks I have frozen as is. By my reckoning thats about 5-6 meals for my £10

nickyhutch

Thanks to both of you - that was a great success yesterday.

Today, I'm using up the half a bottle of wine that's left making Jamie Oliver's Jools' Beef Stew. Now I've made this vefore, and it's fab, but I want to try it in the slow cooker rather than the oven. It tells me to fry the onions, brown the meat, add all the veg and liquid, then cook for 3 - 4 hours in the oven. So shall I just do all that then put it on medium in the slow cooker instead?

Thanks again!

pingua

Can I use frying/grilling steak as brasing steak??

NoahsPennilessMummy

No I wouldnt do that.

Braising steak is to be cooked for a long time to soften it and cook it.....frying grilling steak is for quick cooking....i think it would probably go tough if braised.....not actually done it myself so maybe someone will come on and say they have done it and it was fine....however just going off what I know about cuts of meat i would say no.

ravylesley

I've used frying steak in this way before and any meat will tenderise given a long slow cooking period.That is why braising steak is used as it is a tough cut and the cooking tenderises it

Lesleyxx