I found a great new source for good beef here: the vegetable store.
There is a chain of supermarkets here in France, called Grand Frais (big fresh). When I first started going there it was 90% fruits and vegetables, with a side aisle of international packaged foods – dried mushrooms, specialty rices, Italian canned tomatoes, etc. and a small butcher counter.
Over the years the specialty items, meat and fish have expanded with cheese and other dairy added so now it’s about 75% produce.
It’s still my only source for cranberries at Christmas.
However it’s about 40 minutes away so I don’t go there every week.
Luckily a local version opened a few years ago that I can easily go to every week. They also have a small section of meat and fish but I never tried any of it until a French friend recommended I do so.
We’re glad I did….
Click here to Pin Beef in White Wine, Slow Cooker
PrintBeef in White Wine, Slow Cooker
I don’t usually bother browning the meat or onions, but, as this was a weekend and I had more time I did for this dish. Usually beef dishes use red wine…. the white wine gives it a new twist.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 14oz (420gr) beef, suitable for slow cooking, cut into pieces
- 1 large onion, vertically sliced
- 2 tbs oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 carrot, peeld, diced
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) white wine
- 2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs tapioca
- 1/2 tsp beef base
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbs oil in a large skillet.
- Add onion and sauté for 7 – 8 minutes, until starting to turn golden.
- Remove to slow cooker.
- Add remaining 1 tbs oil and beef. Do not crowd. Brown well on all sides.
- Place beef on top of onions as the pieces are browned.
- Put garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and tapioca on top of beef.
- Mix mustard, paprika, beef base, vinegar and wine.
- Pour over beef.
- Cover and cook, low heat, for 6 hours.
- Give it a quick stir after 3 hours if you are available
- Uncover and serve.
Notes
Beef base or paste is a substitute for beef stock. It comes in jars of granules or paste. You could also crumble part of a stock cube.
Our Guapa has been having, um, intestinal issues lately.
Which means that, several times a night, she barks at the foot of the stairs until I get up, come downstairs and let her out.
Of course I have to wait for her to finish so I can let her back in. Because of the, er, issues, she’s not quick.
Always trying for the bright side…. My new computer arrived. Being woken up frequently in the middle of the night gives me lots of time to plan the transition from the old computer to the new one.
I’m really starting to hate the bright side….
Have you tried a probiotic or something similar to Kaopectate for her problems? Sometimes feeding a b.r.a.t. diet for a few days can help a lot too. Beef or chicken mixed with rice or sweet potatoes, no seasoning, no oils, just boiled, shredded and blended. A little at a time to start.
And I’m sorry she’s having problems. 🙁
I’m glad you’ve found a decent butcher! We have one that’s roughly 40 minutes from me so I don’t go often and right now, hubs is on a mail order diet that shall not be named, so I’m not really cooking. But when I do, I go once a month and then vacuum pack everything. They have some nice meat bundles too. The two places closer to me are too expensive to shop at.
So far we’ve been happy with everything we’ve gotten there.
Guapa is back to her self… she doesn’t like rice but loves butternut squash, Biggest problem was not giving her the daily rawhide chewy. She just sat and stared at us.
I love Grand Frais! Unfortunately my nearest one is an hour away, so I hardly ever shop there. But the range of produce is outstanding!
Our is 40 minutes away, but I don’t go often either – once a month or so.And then I plan lol