Stews are notorious for being able to be tossed into the pot with whatever is on hand in the refrigerator and pantry since it is so flexible, but fresh is always best when it comes to ingredients.

There are also vegetable stews, bean stews, fish stews, and poultry stews. Most cuisines contain a stew of some sort-tagines, pot au feu, daube, feijoada, ragout, hot pots, goulash, cocido, cholent, bouillabaisse, and bigos are all worldly stews with their own country and character that changes with the liquid used and the herbs, such as ginger or Mediterranean. Every one of these are able to be made in the slow cooker.

There are two basic types of meat-based stews–white stews, also known as a blanquette or fricassée, are made with lamb or veal that is blanched without browning and braised in stock. Brown stews are made with pieces of red meat that are first seared or browned, usually with a mirepoix of diced vegetables, then stock and maybe some wine are added. Both these type stews are suitable for the slow cooking method. Stews can be served with thin juices or thickened by reduction or with flour or cornstarch. The buerre manie, a little dough ball with equal parts of butter and flour is one of my favorite ways to thicken a stew. And its fun to do, too.

Cuts of meat having a certain amount of marbling and gelatinous connective tissue give moist, juicy stews, while lean meat may easily become dry. Because stewing tenderizes tough pieces of meat, you can save a buck by purchasing less expensive cuts from the rump, shoulder, and legs. Remember, all meat is essentially muscle and those muscles less used by the animal will be more tender but typically less flavorful. Meat from the more exercised muscles will be tough but have more flavor. And at the end of the preparation, remember “never cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink!”

Here I am focusing on little beef stews. Not big amounts for your 6-quart slow cooker, but recipes for your small cooker. While many households don’t attempt a stew since it is usually made in a large “family size” amount, stews are beautiful made in small amounts for one or two diners, maybe with a bit leftover for next day or freezing. The smaller slow cooker does this job just as efficiently as a large one. Here are two of my best recipes. Enjoy and Happy Springtime Slow Cooking!

Recipes

Baby Beef Stew Classico

Merlot Beef Ragout

Lamb Navarin by Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Braised young lamb is the basis for this very classic French ragoût with spring vegetables, known as a la printaniere. Julia Child in The French Chef Cookbook (Knopf, 1968) devoted her sixty-fourth TV show to navarin.  She recommended stew meat made from a combination of the breast, for fat and texture; shoulder, for lean solid pieces; short ribs, for texture and flavor; and neck, for texture and sauce consistency.  She also sprinkles the stew meat with sugar as it cooks; you may do so if you like.  The baby vegetables are worth searching out any time of year; try a farmer’s market or specialty produce stand  Serve from the crock with hot French bread and butter, or with a side of mashed potatoes.  Julia says don’t forget to enjoy it with a glass of Bordeaux or Beaujolais.

Overview

• Cooker: Large round or oval
• Serves 6

• Setting and Cook Time: HIGH for 1 hour, then LOW for 6 to 7 hours; vegetables are parcooked, then finished in slow cooker last 30 to 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
• 3 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 cups chicken, lamb, or beef broth
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour kneaded into 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for thickening
• 2 bunches baby carrots (14 to 16 carrots, about 10 ounces–not from a bag), peeled and root trimmed with 1/2 inch of the stem
• 1/2 pound baby turnips (10 to 12), peeled and left whole or halved
• 1 pound asparagus, bottoms snapped off and cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup fresh (about 3/4 pound unshelled peas) or thawed frozen petite peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and brown the lamb on all sides over medium-high heat; transfer to the slow cooker.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook a few minutes to take the raw edge off; add to the crock.  Add half of the tarragon, the broth, and wine.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
2. Reduce the heat to LOW and cook until the lamb is very tender, about 6 hours.
3. Add the kneaded butter (beurre manie) in pieces to the cooker and stir until thickened.
4. In a small pot of boiling water, parcook the carrots and turnips separately 5 minutes each; add to the crock with the rest of the tarragon, the asparagus, and peas.  Cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are cooked, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.  Season with salt and pepper.

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann copyright 2002, used by permission by The Harvard Common Press.