Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Canola oil
1 (2- to 3-pound) chuck or round beef roast, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
8 to 10 ounces medium whole white button or brown mushrooms, stems trimmed
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley

Film the bottom of a large frying pan or skillet with canola oil and set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. While the oil is heating, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes until the cubes loosen and are seared golden-brown. Flip the cubes and sear the other sides. When all sides are seared, remove the meat to the insert of a slow cooker that holds at least 4 quarts. Sear the remaining meat in batches. If there is any liquid in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the meat. Place the pan back on the stove.

Heat 1 teaspoon of canola oil in the pan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt, and cook until they have released all the moisture and have turned golden-brown. Add the celery and cook until just softened.

Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf.

Pour the wine into the pot to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the wine bubbles. Let the wine reduce down until most of it has evaporated or been absorbed by the vegetables. Transfer everything to the slow cooker.

Add both stocks to the slow cooker and top with enough water to cover the meat and veggies by about 1/2 inch. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low. Stir in the barley, cover again, and cook until the meat and barley are tender, about 2 hours more on low. Skim off any fat if desired, taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Recipes Notes:

• Cooking the barley: If you will be out of the house and unable to add the barley 4 hours into the slow-cooking time, just boil the barley separately ahead of time in water until tender, about 45 minutes. The cooked barley can be stored in the refrigerator up to a day or two. Cook the beef for the full 6 hours on low, then add the cooked barley in and heat through before serving.
• Stovetop instructions: This recipe can be made on the stovetop instead. Sear the meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot instead of the frying pan and transfer to a bowl or plate. Proceed with cooking the vegetables and deglazing in the same pot. Add the meat back into the pot, along with the stock and water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and let simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and continue cooking for another 45 minutes, until both the barley and meat are tender.

How To Make Slow-Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

How To Make Slow-Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches

What You Need

Ingredients
For the sandwiches:3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to season the roast
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
Ground pepper, to season the roast

To serve:6 to 8 crusty French sandwich rolls, sub buns, or hoagie buns
Sliced provolone or Swiss cheese, optional

Equipment
Large skillet
Stiff spatula
6-quart slow cooker or larger
Tongs or slotted spoon
Baking sheet
Fine-mesh strainer
Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Season the chuck roast: Remove the roast from its packaging and pat dry. Generously season on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the roast: Warm 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear for 5 to 10 minutes, until it releases easily from the pan and has formed a brown crust. Flip and sear the other side. When done, transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
3. Cook the onions: If the pan is dry, add another teaspoon of oil. Add the onions and a half teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to soften and turn translucent around the edges — they will finish cooking through in the slow cooker.
4. Deglaze the pan: Still with the pan over medium-high heat, add the wine. As it bubbles and simmers, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour the wine and the onions over the roast in the slow cooker.
5. Add the broth, salt, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
6. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
7. Slice the meat midway through cooking (optional): If you're nearby at around the 4-hour mark, remove the roast from the slow cooker and slice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick pieces. It's easier to slice the roast at this point, but isn't strictly necessary for the recipe. Return the sliced meat to the slow cooker and continue to cook for the remaining time.
8. Toast the buns: When it's close to time to serve, warm the oven to 400°F. Butter both halves of the buns and place cut-side up on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the buns are just starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. If you like, spoon a little of the cooking juices onto the bottom half of the buns before adding the meat.
9. Lift the meat from the juices: If you sliced the roast already, lift it from the juices with tongs and divide it equally between the bottom halves of the buns. If you did not yet slice the roast, lift it to a cutting board and slice it as thinly as you can, or shred the meat if it will no longer hold together in slices. Divide the meat between the bottom halves of the buns, and spoon a little extra cooking juice on top, if you like.
10. Top with cheese and toast: Top the piles of roast beef with cheese, if using. Switch the oven to broil, and toast the bottom halves of sandwiches until the cheese starts to melt, about 1 minute.
11. Strain the liquid: Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup or serving bowl. Pick out the onions and either serve with the sandwiches or use for another purpose. As the jus sits, skim the fat that rises to the top.
12. Serve with jus: Top the sandwiches with the top halves of the buns. Serve with bowls of the cooking juices on the side for dipping.

How To Make Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

How To Make Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Makes 16 servings (about 4 pounds of cooked meat)

What You Need

Ingredients2 tablespoons kosher salt, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons garlic powder (no salt)
2 teaspoons onion powder (no salt)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 pork shoulder or pork butt (7 to 8 pounds with bone, 6 to 7 pounds if boneless)
2 medium onions, quartered
1 1/2 cups cane-sweetened cola (not diet)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Equipment
Wire rack
Baking sheet
Aluminum foil
Mixing bowls
Paper towels
6-quart or larger slow cooker
Forks 
Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 500°F. (Use convection if you have it.) Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
2. Make the rub: Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, cornstarch, cayenne, and celery seed in a small bowl and mix to combine.
3. Roast the pork: Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Evenly coat the meat with rub. Reserve the remaining rub. Place the meat on the wire rack fat-side up if possible. Roast until the meat is sizzling with a bit of char on the edges, about 10 minutes, but don't let the spices burn and turn acrid.
4. Prep the slow cooker: Meanwhile, place the onions in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Sprinkle with the reserved rub. Pour in the cola, vinegar, and Worcestershire.
5. Add the meat: Carefully transfer the meat to the slow cooker. (Try stabbing a fork into each end to use as handles.) Cover and cook on LOW until the meat is soft enough to pull apart with a spoon, 14 to 16 hours.
6. Shred the meat: Transfer the meat to a large bowl and let stand until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat apart into large chunks or shred with a fork, discarding any bone, connective tissue, and large clumps of fat.
7. Strain the liquid: Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and discard the solids. If you are serving immediately, spoon off as much fat as possible from the surface. For best results, refrigerate until the fat solidifies and collects on top, then scrape off and discard the fat (keep the meat covered and refrigerated during this time).
8. Moisten the meat: Toss the meat with enough defatted cooking liquid to moisten. Serve the meat warm, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate to use in other recipes. 

Recipe Notes

• Make ahead: The spice rub can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few months.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.