My Hands Smell Like Burning

"And there's nothin' cold as ashes/after the fire is gone."
- Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, from "After the Fire Is Gone" (L.E. White)

THE REASON

My new slow cooker is a bit more powerful than my old one, apparently. I threw together a simple stew in the slow cooker before heading off to work this morning. It (the recipe) is an old standby and has never, ever failed me. It's called Merlot Beef Ragout, is from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes For Two," and is exactly what it sounds like: hunks of stew meat, some onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, and a bunch of red wine. I brown everything beforehand just so I don't feel too guilty about how easy it is. I've had it over rice, noodles, and spaetzle, and it's always delicious.

THE RUIN

Well, I've never called home halfway through the day and told my husband he should help himself to some of the slow cooker food for lunch. That's what we did today, and I guess the small quantity of food remaining in the pot, combined with my unfamiliarity with the strength of the new slow cooker, were what made my dinner the way it was tonight. I came home and the Wednesday D&D group was already in full swing (yes, I know I mentioned a D&D game going on in my Monday post as well - it's been an odd week). The living room window was wide open. I walked to the slow cooker. The first thing I noticed was that there was no liquid in the pot. The second thing I noticed was that about 50% of the food was tinged with black. The third thing I noticed was the presence of charcoal (formerly beans and meat) around the edges, and the strong smell of smoke. I asked, "Did you open the window to get rid of the burning smell?" Someone muttered some excuse about it being hot.

THE RESCUE

I was able to add some beef broth and reconstitute most of it, leaving the ring of briquettes around the edge. I put it over some pasta and topped it with some leftover mizithra and green onions, and it wasn't bad. I'm still going to get some pizza action when the mages and... what are the other ones called? clerics? dwarves? ... behind me have dinner in a while, though. And my hands really do smell like burning. Still.

THE REBOUND

So for now, I'm going to daydream about dinner tomorrow! I guess it's just a bean kind of week (tried to think of a pun involving the word "legume" - couldn't), because I'm thinking I'll try one of the bean recipes in The Splendid Table's "How To Eat Supper": Refried Beans with Cinnamon and Clove. YUM! I've never even thought of combining those things. And it looks like they throw in some kidney beans, too.

Here's the recipe for the Merlot Beef Ragout (that "u" is supposed to have a pointy hat on it), since this carcino-charcoal experience I had tonight was a total aberration and it's normally sweet-tastic.

Serves 2 with leftovers

Setting and cook time: Low for 7 to 8 hours; optional to cook on high for last 45 minutes (Carrina's note: ... or whatever amount of time you want to cook it until the meat is tender. Sometimes I cook it 3 or 4 hours on high instead).

1 3/4 pounds lean, boneless beef stew meat, chuck or bottom round, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-size onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
One 14.5-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes, drained (Carrina's note: or just chop up canned whole tomatoes; they're less salty and more, you know, "rustic")
1 cup dry red wine, such as Merlot (Carrina's note: or such as the awesome boxed red wines they are putting out these days, since then you can spend around $5/bottle for a decent wine, AND keep it around for weeks)



1. Sprinkle the cubes of beef with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until very hot (Carrina's note: take off glasses now). Add half of the beef and brown on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Repeat the browning with the remaining beef.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and brown slightly over medium-high heat; add the garlic and cook just for 15 seconds or so, then add the onions and garlic to the crock.

3. Pour the tomatoes and wine into the saute pan and raise the heat to high. Stir constantly while bringing to a boil, scraping up the browned bits accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the meat is tender.

4. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, check the consistency. If the juices are too thin for you, increase the heat to high and leave the cover off (Carrina's note: now that I have a non-digital slow cooker that doesn't short-circuit every time I take the lid off, I can actually follow this step! Huzzah!), letting some moisture evaporate. Serve hot.

From Beth Hensperger's "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes For Two"