I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like home-cooked delicious dish like this (except for vegans and vegetarians, of course). And the most amazing thing about this is, it’s super easy. No, stirring, no watching for the pot to boil, etc. Once you get it all inside the slow-cooker, you don’t need to worry about it.
If you don’t have one, you can use a heavy-bottom pan and set the heat to low after boiling and let simmer for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. Either way gives you really yummy dish the only difference I noticed is that in slow-cooker, the veggies doesn’t get too mushy, that’s why I prefer using it over my pot.
This recipe is my easy-peasy way of cooking beef mechado (a Filipino dish of simmered beef in tomato sauce with potatoes and/or carrots and red bell pepper or pimientos very similar to Afritada). I love this dish and make it often for my family, I urge you to try it, I’m sure you’re gonna love it 🙂
season beef with salt and pepper
dredge in flour and brown both sides
transfer in a slow-cooker and add the rest of the ingredients..
now, relax..your lunch/dinner is taken care of 🙂 Serve this with rice. YUmmmm!
RECIPE FOR SLOW-COOKED BEEF
serves 3-4
Ingredients
1/2 kilo / 500 g beef short ribs, cut into chunks
1-2 medium carrots, sliced into chunks
1 large red onion, quartered
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
2 medium red bellpeppers
1 bay leaf
cooking oil
fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging or coating
Here’s How:
Heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan; Wash and clean beef short ribs thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Dredge or coat with flour; pan fry on the heated pan with oil, cook until lightly browned and turn to sear the other side as well.
Transfer the seared beef to a slow-cooker, and add the rest of the ingredients. Season it with salt and pepper and a little fish sauce, if using. Choose your preferred thermostat setting, choose low if you want it to cook real slow and long and high heat for shorter cooking time. Check on your meat after a couple of hours and every hour thereafter. Turn off your slow cooker when the meat is tender enough for you. It’s your call.
That’s about it! Serve with steamed rice
Enjoy!
Slow-Cooked Beef
Ingredients
- 1/2 KILO / 500 G BEEF SHORT RIBS CUT INTO CHUNKS
- 1-2 MEDIUM CARROTS SLICED INTO CHUNKS
- 1 LARGE RED ONION QUARTERED
- 1/2 CUP TOMATO SAUCE
- 1/4 CUP VINEGAR
- 2 MEDIUM RED BELLPEPPERS
- 1 BAY LEAF
- COOKING OIL
- FISH SAUCE SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
- FLOUR FOR DREDGING OR COATING
Instructions
- HEAT ABOUT 2 TABLESPOONS OF COOKING OIL IN A PAN; WASH AND CLEAN BEEF SHORT RIBS THOROUGHLY. PAT DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS AND SEASON WITH SEA SALT AND GROUND BLACK PEPPER. DREDGE OR COAT WITH FLOUR; PAN FRY ON THE HEATED PAN WITH OIL, COOK UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED AND TURN TO SEAR THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL.
- TRANSFER THE SEARED BEEF TO A SLOW-COOKER, AND ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS. SEASON IT WITH SALT AND PEPPER AND A LITTLE FISH SAUCE, IF USING. CHOOSE YOUR PREFERRED THERMOSTAT SETTING, CHOOSE LOW IF YOU WANT IT TO COOK REAL SLOW AND LONG AND HIGH HEAT FOR SHORTER COOKING TIME. CHECK ON YOUR MEAT AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS AND EVERY HOUR THEREAFTER. TURN OFF YOUR SLOW COOKER WHEN THE MEAT IS TENDER ENOUGH FOR YOU. IT’S YOUR CALL.
- THAT’S ABOUT IT! SERVE WITH STEAMED RICE