Slow Cooker Rump Roast Stew

Rump roast is the cut we reach for when the weather turns and nobody wants to stand over a stove. It is lean and it's easy.  Make it along with your morning coffee and enjoy when you get home from your cold weather evening. 

The turn here is a cup of  leftover coffee and a splash of balsamic. The coffee deepens the broth and reads as roasted beef, not breakfast. The balsamic goes in at the very end and keeps everything from tasting flat. Nothing on this list requires a special trip.

Set it, leave it alone, and come back to a full house.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 8+ hours on low

Serves: 6

Ingredients

The Beef

• 3 lbs rump roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp beef tallow or vegetable oil

The Stew

• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 lbs russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 lb carrots, cut into thick coins
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Pat the beef completely dry and toss with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the cubes and toss again until lightly coated.
2. Heat the tallow in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Sear the beef in three batches, about 3 minutes per batch, until deeply browned on two sides. Move each batch to the slow cooker.
3. Drop the heat to medium. Cook the onions in the same pan until soft and browning at the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, and thyme and stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens.
4. Pour in the coffee to deglaze. Scrape up every brown bit from the bottom of the pan.
5. Scrape the onion mixture over the beef. Add the potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, and Worcestershire, then pour in the broth. The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up, not cover everything.
6. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Do not lift the lid. High for 4 to 5 hours works if you are short on time, but low gives you beef that pulls apart with a spoon.
7. Remove the bay leaves. Whisk the cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water, stir it in, then switch to high and leave the lid off for 15 minutes.
8. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste for salt, and finish each bowl with parsley.

4DR Tip

Cut the potatoes and carrots chunky, closer to 1 1/2 inches. Anything smaller disappears into the sauce over eight hours. The coffee is not optional if you want that depth, but any drip coffee works. Do not use flavored beans.

Wine Pairing

A Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot fits this one. Both have enough backbone for the roasted notes in the broth.