Slow Cooker Spiced Steak in Tamarind Sauce
Lately whenever my back is turned, my preschooler, Connie, mixes up some culinary 
potion under the kitchen table. In just seconds she can confine the entire contents of my baking shelf to just one bowl, leaving a telltale trail of powders and sticky mess across the kitchen floor. Of course none of it will be edible, but the delight on her face at having “made a wesipy just like you mummy” is disarming.
I look for opportunities for my girls to help in the kitchen and mixing up the ingredients for marinades is always fun – a pinch of this, a drop of that, shake it all together. It’s a witch’s brew. Our back to basics this week focuses on marinades you can use on meat and vegetables in your slow slow cooker.
Marinades
|
Region |
Acids |
Oils |
Seasonings |
|
Mediterranean |
Red or white wine vinegar, lemon juice |
olive oil |
rosemary, thyme, garlic, |
|
Smokey North American |
Worcestershire sauce |
light olive, canola or vegetable oils |
mustard, paprika, |
|
South East Asian |
Lime juice, rice wine vinegar, mirin |
light olive, canola, sesame oils * |
ginger, chili, cilantro |
|
Latin American |
Lime juice, lemon juice, |
olive oil, light olive, canola or vegetable oils |
rock salt, garlic paste, black pepper, peppers – chipotle, ancho, pasilla, cilantro, cumin |
Meat to marinade ratio: 1/2 cup marinade per 1 1b of meat
You can easily load up a marinade with great flavors which is the rationale behind this weeks “eating in and taking out” recipe.
The convenience of take out is an occasional pleasure, however if you’re accommodating food allergies or your diet is in check then perhaps it isn’t an option. The key is that you know exactly what’s in this Spiced Steak and there’s no room for unknown added nasties.
| Prep Time 15 minutes Cooking Time Low 8 hours Servings 4 |
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb flank steak, 1/2″ slices
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coriander seed
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 star anise, crushed
2 medium onions, cut into crescent shapes
Lay the flank steak on a board and cut across the grain into 1/2″ slices.
In a bowl or a ziploc bag, combine the soy sauce, tamarind, honey, coriander, garlic and ginger and mix thoroughly. Put the slices of steak into the marinade and mix to ensure all the pieces are covered. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more (overnight is fine too).
Lay the sliced crescents of onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Lay the marinaded steak over the top.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4.
Serve with rice and a chopped herb or “any greens” salad mixed with 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil.
Zen Toolkit
Allergyeats.com is a great website if you are researching allergy consious restaurants and take outs http://www.allergyeats.com/ Just like the Zagat guides, it’s a peer reviewed directory of restaurants and rates how they stack up for customers with allergies.
Zen Moment
“A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious.”
-Unknown
*sesame is a known allergen
