Clay Pot Roast Beef with Mushrooms. Жаркое с грибами в горшочках

Testi Kebab getting prepared for us in Istanbul

One of the well-known cooking methods in Russia is making meat dishes in clay pots - with various vegetable and grain add-ons, filled with broth. The pot contents simmers gently and slowly, loosing little to no moisture and results in delicious and dreamy-tender meal.

The method of preparation of meat / fish in clay pots is well-known from the times of ancient Greece and is very popular throughout the Mediterranean region, including Turkey, with its own Anatolian version, called testi kebab. Africa has its clay pots' version - tagine; Germany - Römertopf; and other pot shape varieties in Asia.

Russian clay pots are the smallest in size, which makes them an ideal serving size. Lately, I've seen amazing clay pots in Russian retail stores, which look more like a work of art than a cooking utility. Generally, the recipes are awfully simple, the preparation is even simpler, and the presentation always gets a wow-feedback.

• 700g / 1,5 lb beef chuck roast, cut into thin strips 
• 100g / 2 strips Canadian bacon, diced (optional)
• 250g / 1 cup sliced mushroom
• 500g / 1lb potatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 4 tbsp tomato sauce 
• 2 tsp herbs of your choice, I prefer herbs de Provence

1.  Saute onion until soft and golden, add bacon and beef. Cook until tender and browned.
2. In a separate bowl combine cut-up vegetables, sugar, salt, pepper, spices to taste. In a separate bowl mix beef broth, wine, tomato sauce, add salt, pepper. 
3. Fill 1/2 of the clay pot with the meat mix. Add the veggie mix until the pot is 3/4 full and pour the broth over it. The broth should cover the contents by half an inch.
4. Cook in an oven for 60 min on 180C / 350F. Once done, take the pots out and let them cool for 15 minutes.
5. Serve clay pot roast beef with mushrooms garnished with parsley.

Photo credit: http://abc8.ru/

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Eintopf Provence. German one-pot stew, Provence-style.

This very easy and delicious version of a tummy-warming stew that is quite popular in Germany can make a wonderful mid-week dinner.

• 2 white onion, diced finely
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced to 1 inch dices
• 2 green bell pepper, cubed to 1 inch dices
• 1 eggplant, cubed to 1 inch dices
• 1 can white or red kidney beans, drained
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 500 grams / 1lb ground beef
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons red chili sauce
• 1/4 Cup red wine
• 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
• salt, pepper to taste

1. Preparation: mince and cube vegetables as directed. Drain beans.
2. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in a plan and add ground beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. 
3. Add all of the veggies, except tomatoes and beans. Add red wine. Saute for 10 min. 
4. Add the broth, tomatoes and beans, tobasco sauce or red chili sauce, and Provence herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, tarragon). 
5. Simmer on low for 30-50 min. 

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Ground Beef Cutlets Vienna-style

These cutlets are delicious: light and fluffy!

• 800g ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 200g mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons starch
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, pepper to taste

1. Beat the eggs lightly, add salt, pepper, mayo and starch. Add to the ground beef and mix it. Put in fridge for 5 hours.
2. Form meat balls, 2 inches in diameter. To make a cutlet, press the ball with your fingers on one side.
3. Fry in a pan with some oil till golden-brown, turn over. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes till ready.

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Eggplant Moussaka

Easy to make, no-hassle, relatively light. Great mid-week dinner.

• 3 eggplants, peeled, cut lengthwise 1,5cm-thick 
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 300g - 1lb ground beef or lamb
• 1 can 8oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 clove minced garlic
• 50 grams pine nuts
• 3 eggs, split into white and yolks 
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
• 1/2 cups red wine 

1. Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in one beaten egg.

3. To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.

4. Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

5. Bake on 365F for 40 min. or 1 hour at 350F.

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Osso Buco

• 5 clove garlic
• 4 veal shanks, 1lb each 
• 1/4 cups olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1 celery, diced into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cups or 4 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp herbs de provence or bouquet garni
• 1 cup white wine 

Gremolata

• 2 tbsp parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• zest of one lemon

1. Pat veal shanks dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine if possible. If there's no twine and the shanks are thinner than 1", make 1" incisions along the edges 2" apart to prevent meat from curling up.

Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.

In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil and butter. Once butter foam subsides, place tied veal shanks in the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.

2. In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add Provencal herbs if using.

Return browned shanks to the pan and add the bouquet garni and 3 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.

4. Make the gremolata by finely chopping parsley and garlic and lemon zest. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

5. Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot, cut off the kitchen twine and discard. Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.

Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. Garnish with gremolata. Serve with risotto or mashed potatoes.

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Carbonnade Flamande

Flemish beef stew, or carbonnades flamandes, is the national dish of Belgium. Hearty and satisfying, this recipe takes less than two hours to prepare, and is nice enough to serve for a sit-down family meal. Add a crisp green salad, roasted potatoes, and a bottle of wine for a spectacular feast worthy of an upscale auberge du terroir on a chilly evening.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 65 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups sliced onions (4 medium)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 12-oz bottle dark beer
• 1/4 cup -1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the beef, flour, salt, and pepper. In a large saucepan over high heat, brown the beef in the canola oil and butter. Carefully watch the beef to make sure it doesn’t burn, but give it enough time to develop a nice, rich brown color – the caramelized sugars will greatly enhance the stew’s flavor.
2. Add the onions, garlic, brown sugar, and herbs to the beef and stir thoroughly. The onions will pick up a bit of the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beer and add enough beef stock to cover the beef in the pan. Cover the stew, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 ½ hour, until the beef is tender. 
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.

Makes 6 servings

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From-Scratch Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

• 1 kg / 2 lb beef, cut into 1x5cm strips
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g / 1lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cups tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 tbs paprika
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbs mustard
• 3/4 cups sour cream
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste 

1. Add all of the ingrients in a slow cooker, except mushroom and sour cream.
2. Cook for 9-10 hours on auto.
3. Add mushrooms 1 hour before serving.
4. Fold in sour cream 15 minutes before serving or right before serving but make sure it warms through. 
5. Serve with egg noodles or a side dish of your choice.

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Uccelletti Scappati (Veal Rolls)

A traditional Italian dish translates as "the birds that have flown away". A pretty romantic name for a great dish. An amazing recipe - full of flavor, delicious, unusual, and makes great presentation. Prosciutto adds delicate flavor. Can be assembled and frozen days in advance. The recipe calls for this veal slices from the leg, but I made it with a more prosaic beef, pounded to 5mm thickness.

• 8 veal scallopine pounded to 1cm thickness
• 8 fresh leaves sage or 1/2 tsp dried
• 8 slices prosciutto, paper-thin
• 1/2 cup fontina cheese or provolone, shredded
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup white wine 

1. Spread a slice of pounded to 5mm-thick meat and sprinkle with sage leaves. Cover with prosciutto. Sprinkle with 1T of cheese.
2. Starting at the short end, roll up each slice tightly, secure with a toothpick.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet. Once the oil is ready, dust the rolls in flour, and slip them in the skillet. Saute until brown for 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in wine, salt, pepper. Allow the wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2C of water and reduce to low. Cover, simmer till meat is tender for 45 minutes.
5. Serve with fresh tagliatelle pouring the remaining sauce over it or with dried egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

* take into account that provolone and prosciutto both add quite a bit of salt. I used a slow cooker, which saves time and has the meal warm for serving when you need it.

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Slow-cooked Beef Stew

The no-nonsense stew, hearty and wholesome with no canned ingredients. Best if cooked at night, stays on 'warm' during the day and eaten in the evening.

Serves: 4
Makes in: 10 hours+

• 2 lb beef
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 minced garlic
• 1 bay leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 potato, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4  carrot, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 cup red or white wine 

1. Dredge meat in flour, brown in a hot skillet till brown, 8-10minutes. Add wine, salt, pepper. Let the wine evaporate, 3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add vegetables, spices. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. 

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Mini Meatloaf

When I make these for the kids, I use a muffin baking pan to make individually-portioned cute meat muffins. If using a muffin pan, decrease the cooking time to 30 minutes.

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). 
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. 
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf. 
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. 

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Texas-Style Chili

• 1 lb lean beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch pcs
• 2 cups white onion, chopped
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 cup picante sauce or salsa
• 2 can pinto or red beans, or one of each, drained
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped ripe tomato 
• 2 tsp salt

1. Spray dutch oven or large saucepan with oil; heat over med-high heat until hot. Add beef, onion, garlic, cook and stir until beef is no longer pink, about 5 min. Sprinkle the mixture with chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano; mix well. Add beef broth and salsa, bring to a boil. Cover; simmer for 45 min. 
2. Stir in beans, simmer uncovered for 30 min or until beef is tender and chili has thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls, top with sour cream and tomatoes. 

America's Favorite Brand Name Light Cooking

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Steak Rolls Florentine

• 10 beef / veal slice, 1-2 cm thick, up to 10cm in length
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, mixed with red pepper and salt to taste
• 1 1/4 cup frozen, chopped, drained spinach
• 1/3 cup white onion, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tbsp basil leaves
• 2 tbsp romano cheese
• 14 oz  / 400g canned stewed tomatoes

1. Place the meat slices on a cutting board and pound till about 1cm thin. Brush with dressing. 
2. Combine spinach, onion, garlic, basil and cheese in small bowl. Stir in 1 cup tomatoes. Spoon 1 cup of spinach mixture over each steak, spreading to cover steak evenly. 
3. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tie rolls with string. Place meat rolls in stoneware. Pour remaining tomatoes and spinach over meat. 
4. Cover cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 4 to 5 hours. 
5. Lift meat rolls from stoneware and slice to serve.

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Hungarian Goulash

• 1 1/2 lb / 750g stewing beef, cut into 1" inch pieces
• 1/2 cups water
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 white onion, chopped
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Place all ingredients except sour cream in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low. 
2. Add sour cream to the slow-cooker 10min before serving. Serve over noodles.

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Creamy Beef Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lb / 1kg beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced ginger
• 2 red or green chili peppers
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns
• 4 cardamom pods
  
• 4 cloves
  
• 1/2 cups of water / beef broth
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
  
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt 

1. In a skillet eat oil over med-high. Add beef, in batches, brown. Transfer to slow cooker. 
2. Reduce heat to med. Add onions and cook till softened. Add garlic, ginger, chili pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, peppercorns, card. pods, cloves, and cook, for 1 min. Add beef stock, bay leaf, bring to a boil. 
3. Pour mixture over beef. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10h, High for 10min. Stir yogurt and serve over hot rice. 

Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes by J. Finlayson

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