The Slow Cooker Diaries 2 – Braised Beef and Peppers

April 26, 2014

I’ll admit, I haven’t been using my slow cooker as much as I have wanted. It’s funny how a slow cooker is supposed to make a busy schedule easier, but in fact, since I have to hunt for all my ingredients in a million different places, it has made it a bit harder.

This past week was a busy one. We had speech contests in elementary and with over 100 students, it was a lot of speeches to listen to! Because of that, I used the slow cooker for dinner this week.

I found a recipe for Cuban braised beef and peppers. The ingredients were things that I knew I could find here in Seoul! The only thing I think I needed to compromise was the type of beef. The recipe calls for flank steak and if I must be honest, I really don’t know what type of steak that is. I just grabbed beef that looked good! 🙂

Here is the original source of the recipe!

My adapted version is below!

Enjoy!

Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers

Ingredients

2 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 red/yellow bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
Rice (I used Korean instant rice)
1 avocado, sliced (they are pricy in Korea! It makes the food taste good but it’s not really neccessary)
1/4 cup fresh or dried cilantro leaves

Directions

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve with the rice and top with the avocado and cilantro.

End Result

The meal itself was delicious! It was savory and filling. It was perfect to come home to after a long day. The smell was also nice and welcoming. After teaching for 6 hours, it was the comfort needed!

I’ll blog a post soon about the update of my week/new things that John and I have explored! My family arrives in a week so I am busy planning things for when they are here!

Have a good weekend! 🙂