Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 3/4 tsp. salt, divided
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup fat-free, low sodium beef broth
- 1/3 cup pitted nicoise olives
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed
- 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 3 flat leaf parsley sprigs
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (1-inch)strip orange rind
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Preparation
Step 1
Combine first 3 ingredients into a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning back occasionally.
Combine 1/2 cup boiling water with mushrooms; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving mushrooms and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef mixture with 1/4 tsp. salt. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of beef mixture to pan and saute 5 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Place browned beef into the slow cooker. Repeat for the remaining marinated beef.
Add wine and broth to skillet; bring to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Pour wine mixture into the slow cooker. Add mushrooms, reserved 1/4 cup soaking liquid, remaining salt, olives and next 5 ingredients through tomatoes. Place peppercorns, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and orange rind on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely. Add cheesecloth bundle to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. Discard the cheesecloth bundle.
Combine 1 tbsp. water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to slow cooker; cook 20 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley and chopped thyme.