shredded beef on a bun

This Saturday I had a surprise party for my husband who has just retired. He was taken sailing by a couple friends for the afternoon, and so I could only start cooking after he had gone, so the menu had to be simple and quick.  I did put the beef in the crock pot before he left, but apparently he did not notice that I had put in enough for 20!

This made enough 20 people with sadly no left overs, but it would be easy to shrink down for a more reasonable number.

Beef pot roast (I did one pot roast and 4 large braising steaks)
2 cups of tomato puree
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of coriander
4 garlic cloves sliced
1 lime cut up

Sauce
2 tablespoons of sirachi sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup of tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Place the beef in a crock pot along with the lime.

Combine all the  other ingredients in large jug.

Crock pot stew

I made this last weekend in my frenzied Sunday of cooking make ahead food for the week. But it could easily be put on before work in the morning simmering away, ready for dinner when you walk in the door.

I am going along with Jamie Oliver's theory which more and more I am believing is correct, that you do not have to brown the meat before making a stew.  This cuts the prep time and mess to the point of being able to prepare in the morning while you are eating breakfast.

2 onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 red peppers chopped
2 sticks of celery
4 carrots (except I did not have any this time)
2 lbs of stewing beef cut into fairly large chunks
One cup of red wine
1/2 cup of beef stock
1/4 cup fresh herbs chopped (basil, parsley, thyme, oregano) or equivalent dried
2 bay leaves

Sweat off the the vegetables for a minute until the onions are translucent, then add along with the remaining ingredients into a crock pot.

Sitting in the crockpot waiting to cook

Cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for up to 10 hours. Of course this could be cooked in a regular pot in the oven, but somehow the crockpot is easier to leave.

Rather blurry picture of finished stew

 This made enough for 4 containers of stew in my fridge and freezer each one feeding at least two.  It could be stretched to feed more by adding some vegetables at the time of reheating like carrots, potatoes or even as my mother used to do red kidney beans.

I had this for dinner on Wednesday with peas and boiled potatoes, dinner was on the table in about 15 minutes.  How good is that.