Beef Bouruignon

• 3 pounds chuck roast, or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes and pat dry
• 2 yellow onions, cut in quarters
• 1 cup button mushrooms (optional)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour or potato starch for gluten free mixed with equal amounts of water for a slurry
• 1 cup of a hearty red wine 
• 2 cups beef broth or you can use French onion soup mixed with water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 can roasted dice tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons gravy master
• 4 slices of bacon
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the meats: In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

Whisk together sauces: Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add broth, and tomatoes, and gravy master. Slowly whisk in the flour or starch. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

Add in remaining ingredients: Add garlic, thyme and vegetables to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
 

TIPS:

1. For stews, choose a less expensive, tougher cut of beef, like chuck meat. 
2. Do not skip the step of searing the beef. It does take a little extra time, but it is so important in a recipe like this one.
3. Low and slow is the way to go here. 

Homemade Greek Loukaniko Sausage

This is an easy and delicious recipe. No casing! It's a simple shape, wrap and twist in plastic wrap! You can add some extra pork fat, but I prefer a leaner sausage.

• 2 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 2 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1/2 cup pork fat minced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons or more of salt
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh orange zest
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 generous tablespoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• Splash of liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 roasted and minced leak (optional)
• Plastic wrap

1. Mix the salt and sugar into the meat and refrigerate overnight. This step helps the sausage bind to itself when you stuff it.

2. Set aside 1/2 of the coriander, black pepper, orange zest and fennel seeds in a small bowl.

3. Mix the garlic, oregano and thyme into the meat.

4. In a food processor, put in the meat mixture and add the orange zest, reserved spices and the wine vinegar and pulse the sausage well for 2 minutes, or until it forms a sticky, cohesive paste. 

5. Shape into links; wrap well in plastic wrap. Poach the still-wrapped sausages in a pot of simmering water until firm and cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool enough to handle. Keep wrapped if freezing for future use.

6. Unwrap the sausages and brown in butter or olive oil on all sides in a heavy skillet. Serve with squeezed lemon.

Some helpful tips:

1. You might want to add some additional pork fat, it will be dry for you the other way.

2. If you like saltier sausage you can add a bit more.

3. Make sure you roll and wrap the sausage very tight so it doesn't open up in the blanching process.

4. If you like a heavier lamb taste, switch the ratio of the meats... 2 lamb to 1 pork instead.

5. For me it is perfectly seasoned, but you can always add more of what you like. For instance more orange zest or more garlic, etc... it's a personal taste.

6. I also take a teaspoon of the mixture and quickly pan fry it to test the seasoning out before I roll it!