With all apologies to Cook’s Country magazine, I got this idea while thumbing through an old issue in a waiting room several months ago, and only remembered it now because the dreary weather has demanded slow cooker comfort foot. I think that the Cook’s recipe was for stew, but the philosophy is the same regardless of the size of your beef chunks. The trick: cooking your veggies in a “hobo pack.”
Never heard of a hobo pack? I hadn’t either, but the idea is brilliant. By letting the veggies steam in a foil packet, you avoid the problem of mushy, flavorless vegetables at serving time. It’s the perfect solution.
Ingredients
- Beef chuck roast, 3-5 lbs depending on how many you’re feeding
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable or olive oil for browning the meat
- 1 bag frozen pearl onions
- 1 can tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth (I’m sure that beef would work, but I had chicken on hand)
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 bag baby carrots
- 4 red skin potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
- Thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp Minute tapioca
- 1 bag thawed frozen peas (optional)
Instructions
Trim the fat from the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and sear the beef on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared meat to a slow cooker set on low.
Add more oil (if necessary) and cook onions until golden. Add tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in tapioca and bay leaves.
Toss carrots and potatoes with 1 Tbsp of oil, salt, pepper and a touch of thyme. Wrap in a foil packet that will fit into your slow cooker, and place the packet on top of the beef, onion and broth mixture. Cover and ignore for 6-7 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, empty the hobo pack into the meat mixture. Add some additional thyme. I was feeling fancy and served mine with polenta, but it’s a perfectly acceptable meal unto itself.