Braising, stewing or shin?

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Re OP, am sure a slow cooker would be fine as the all the browning and sizzling is done prior to the slow simmering.

Yes, there are two ways to achieve caramelisation, frying before stewing or by browning as it cooks in the oven.

[Suffs Profile]

When using a slow-cooker, I find the difficulty in creating depth of flavour is that the cooking liquid doesn't reduce as it would on the hob or in the oven so, when making a casserole-type dish, less cooking liquid has to be added at the beginning of the process and that liquid has to have more flavourings and aromats to compensate. Of course this isn't relevant for pot-roasts which create their own cooking liquor.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I agree, Suffs. Chicken works ok but I never cook beef in my slow cooker, I have never managed to get it to be melt in the mouth or to have a lovely reduced gravy.

The beef bourgignon recipe looks very good. I usually only go to that much trouble with venison where I use Port and not quite so generously!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’ve not tried beef in a slow cooker yet, though I made a lamb tagline that was excellent, but tagine has relatively little juice and the flavour comes from the solid ingredients and spice

I’ve made a few stew/casserole type dishes but mine is an Instant Pot and the sauté function is really good for the initial browning

I can however see a problem with a sauce that’s mainly wine and therefore needs to be reduced

[ZeroCook Profile]

Yes, there are two ways to achieve caramelisation, frying before stewing or by browning as it cooks in the oven.

Indeed.

Most slow cookers have temp settings. I don't slow cooker very much, but I do use an older ceramic interior one that has two settings - low & high - for beans and find that the liquid certainly evaporates quite a bit over several hours tho it's also absorbed by the beans which I never soak anymore. Even if it doesn't evaporate enough with something like the beef, easy enough to give a rapid simmer on the stove at the end. Length of cooking time is as much to do with flavour as it is with reduction imo.

Some very (very) nice wines from that region, Gill.

On a slight side note, was recommended Coq au Pouilly-Fumé, basically Coq au Vin in white wine said to be very good. Can also be found from Hairy Bikers or Diana Henry's chicken book I think.

Speaking of pinot noir, she has a chicken legs in pinot noir with sour cherries recipe that looks good, too. But I digress.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

beans which I never soak anymore

All beans Zero ? Interesting. I cook a lot of beans & soak everything apart from black (turtle) beans & aduki which don't need it & in fact cook better without a soak - no skinning etc.

Do you need to cook your beans for longer without the soak?

I don't mind having to soak - in fact I find it quite therapeutic in a way.... it's a kind of ritual & I don't use a pressure cooker/whatever to cook them after.

Coq cooked with Pouilly-Fumé is a waste in my book......

[ZeroCook Profile]

.
All beans except red kidney beans but they can be ore boiled for 15 mins.

It was a revelation. They taste really good and seem to have less digestion after effects, oo.

I posted a link in Latin Am cuisine last year - will repost

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Thanks Z - will look forward to seeing that !

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Well we did enjoy that recipe.
And will have the remainder as a pie - as per your link, Zero.

I didn't use chocolate, I think Tony would have a seizure if I used it in anything, he loathes it.
Big baby carrots were rather lovely.

I was worried about the wine Tony bought. I tend to cook everyday stuff with low/ no alcohol wine, as it's a couple of quid cheaper, that's all.
He came back with a 0.5% tempranillo. & I just went with it and lobbed it in.

In the end, it mellowed down rather nicely. I thought the dish would be mediocre for it, but no, it was nicely unctuous. Proper wine would have been far better, natch.

I've obviously left my camera setting on a playful soft focus mode, or vintage, so the image is odd.
Still, the recipe is a keeper.

[ZeroCook Profile]

I didn't use chocolate, I think Tony would have a seizure if I used it in anything, he loathes it.

I didn't either - completely forgot about it, actually. Unnecessary TBH. Mr0 won't eat anything sweet in a savoury dish, fruit included.
I found that the short wine boil pre marination help mellow the wine a lot, as did the long simmer.
Your dish looks the biz, Gill. Lovely.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

yes, it's rather pleasing the way the wine develops.

As far back as my 20's, I've seen people using chocolate with beef.
When I lived in Scotland a local gamekeeper used to add chocolate squares to his steak sauce. It's been around long enough, but I'm not really a convert still.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Doesn't the use of chocolate stem from south American countries in moles? I wouldn't class it as a sweet element as surely you use 85% or 90% chocolate. It gives a lovely depth of flavour. Just hide the pack from those who might not understand!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I don’t think I’ve ever put chocolate in bourguignon but I have put it in chilli and other things occasionally where the recipe calls for it

I agree with Earthmaiden, it’s not really a sweet element, it’s an element to add extra notes of flavour that complement those in the wine. There’s probably more sugar in the veg in the mirepoix. I have occasionally used a spoon of good quality cocoa powder in chilli if I didn’t have a suitable bar of chocolate p.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I generally use cocoa rather than chocolate in chilli and picadillo. Also in game stews and ragu, with venison or hare. Less is more, though. Better a background note than a chocolate sauce.

There's a gorgeous looking recipe for hare ragu using plenty of red wine as marinade and cooking liquid, plus a bit of chocolate grated over the dish at the end. It's one of Giorgio Locatelli's. I haven't got around to doing it yet.