Braised Steak & Onions

Have I told you how much I’ve been loving my slow cooker lately? I guess it’s one of my most used appliances in winter time but it’s amazing just how versatile it becomes in the warmer months. You don’t have to worry about slaving away in a hot kitchen, turning the oven on or standing over a hot plate on your stove. Just pop everything into the slow cooker in the morning then just serve it up at dinner time. Even though we’re still officially only in Spring, it hasn’t quite warmed up yet so this easy Braised Steak & Onions was for dinner.

I usually heat my brocolli in the microwave and tonight’s dinner was served with a side of sweet potato mash, which was also cooked in the microwave. Easy peasy.

Slow cooking cheap cuts of meat this way makes them fall apart and melt in your mouth.

Fill a ziplock bag with seasoned flour and toss the meat in until well coated with the flour. This will form the gravy.

Put the meat in the slow cooker with a couple of sliced onions.

Add a cup of beef stock, heaps of salt and pepper and set to cook on high for 4 hours or low on 8 hours.

This dish also makes a great filling for a pie. You could use any type of meat as well like chicken, pork, veal or lamb. The cheaper cut of meat the better. Also, for a darker gravy, don’t forget my secret ingredient, one tablespoon of Vegemite (if you’re game). It adds a dark rich colour and flavour to the dish. You could also cook this on the stove top or in the oven, should you want to warm up your kitchen. A great meal for winter or summer.

Braised Steak & Onions

• quantity of chuck or blade steak, diced
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• plain flour for dredging
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon Vegemite (optional)
• 1 cup beef stock

1. Place steak, flour, salt and pepper in a ziplock bag and coat the meat well with the flour.
2. Put the meat, onions and stock into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
3. Once the sauce has started to thicken, add 1 tablespoon of Vegemite (optional).
4. Serve with vegetables of choice or use as a pie filling.

Sunday Steak Sandwich & Spicy Onion Rings

After a usually busy weekend, Sunday night dinners are usually very casual, with things like bacon and eggs, baked beans on toast or a steak and salad sandwich. Tonight I decided to add Spicy Onion Rings to our steak sandwich.

I usually add whatever is on hand to the steak sandwich. Things like bacon, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot and tonight’s addition was grilled fresh pineapple. I also spread one piece of bread with mayonnaise and the other with a spicy BBQ relish. Something a little bit extra for what’s usually quite a boring, quick Sunday night meal.

Spicy Onion Rings

Self raising flour
Chilli powder
Salt & pepper
Water to mix to a runny yoghurt consistency
Oil for deep frying

Cut onion into rings. Dust in a mix of flour seasoned with salt, pepper and chilli powder. Add a couple onion rings at a time to the batter which is just self raising flour and water mixed together. Heat oil and cook onion rings, a couple at a time. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt to serve.