Taste Slow-Cooked

KT doesn’t cook. What she does do is pour cereal into bowls. She also opens ice cream containers although I’m not sure if that ever actually makes it into a bowl. When I made this recipe I thought of her: Just dump into one big slow cooking bowl and wander away like the rest of your kitchen doesn’t even exist.

“SLOW-COOKED FAVORITES CONTEST”

The Rules: If you have a slow-cooked specialty that’s frequently requested at your house, enter it here.

The Prize: Grand Prize: $500, 2nd Place: $300.00, 3rd Place: $200.00, 4th Place: $100.00

The Entry: Mexican Mole Stew

2 1/2 pounds stew beef
30 ounces canned black beans, drained
1 yellow onion, chopped (2 ½ cups)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 chipotle chilies (from a can), chopped
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Serve with sour cream.

Serves 10 (Great for freezing)

Add stew meat, black beans, onions, carrots, dried cherries chipotle chilies and garlic to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add sherry vinegar, red wine and beef stock. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, allspice, ground clove, ground cinnamon, oregano and unsweetened chocolate. Cook on high setting for 6-8 hours. When meat is tender, season stew with lime juice, barbecue sauce, salt and thyme. Serve with sour cream.