It’s been a long winter. Watching cars drive on the frozen lake has been an education to say the least. Now things are beginning to thaw, the snow is gone but the ice is still there, dangerously thin by now I imagine. I’m told the lake goes from white, to grey and then to black. I’m waiting.

I’ve been in love with my slow cooker during this time. It somehow conveys a feeling of contentment and nurturing that the pressure cooker lacks. Though the latter is a very useful tool, particularly if you are in a hurry or your meat is still frozen. I do like the slow cooker though, particularly because you can set and forget it. It does curries and spiced Asian fusion food so well. The spices permeate the meat in a way that is unctuous and all the better for it if you refrigerate overnight and reheat (not in the slow cooker) the day after. Somehow the aroma of the dishes cooked in it makes me impatient to eat, so preparing a larger batch than needed, so that there are leftovers,  is a good thing.

I’m typing this while the smell of Mongolian Beef wafts through the house. Yes I know, it should really be Mongolian Lamb but finding good lamb here is somewhat of a challenge and I had some nice beef shank (similar to an Osso bucco cut ) in the freezer, so why not?

This is the before picture, the beef is in the spiced liquid, though there isn’t much of it, liquid that is. The beef will release its own juices and add to the “gravy” as it cooks. You may need to thicken the sauce at the end of cooking with a small slurry of cornflour/cornstarch, or not as the case may be. Taste before serving and adjust the seasoning. Enjoy!

Mongolian Beef ready to cook…IngredientsIngredients

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dark soy

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1 tablespoon hoi sin sauce

1 teaspoon sriracha chilli sauce

1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

4-5 spring onions/scallions sliced diagonally

1 large onion

500 g beef or lamb

peanut oil or ghee for frying (1-2 tablespoons)

Method

Slice onion and fry off in a medium fry pan for a couple of minutes in peanut oil/ghee. Place onion in slow cooker. Brown meat quickly in the same pan, 3-4 minutes and add to slow cooker. Deglaze pan with about half a cup of water or beef stock and mix in remaining ingredients (except spring onions/scallions) and then transfer to slow cooker pouring liquid over the meat and onions. Cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 5 hours or until meat is tender. Adjust cooking time according to your slow cooker. Add spring onions and stir through. Serve with rice.

Almost done, just needs a stir, the spring onions, and a bit of thickening for the sauce so it coats the meat in sticky goodness. Then grab a spoon, it will melt apart…

Kind regards,

J.