Love to eat premium quality meat but often regret the very expensive price? One solution, of course, is to buy lower-quality cuts of meat. Unfortunately, low-quality meat doesn't get tender easily and tends to be less flavorful if it's cooked too quickly. One type of meat that falls into this category is the bottom round roast or beef thigh which is naturally tougher in texture, but will become tender if cooked for a long time on low heat. To prepare it, all you have to do is season the meat and then grill it in the oven with the onion and carrot mixture, or cook it in a slow cooker with portobello mushrooms. Once cooked, the beef thighs can be served immediately with a variety of accompanying vegetables!
Ingredients
Grilling Beef Thighs and Vegetables in the Oven
- 1.5 to 2 kg boneless beef thigh
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into quarters
- 3 cloves of garlic, puree
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 240 ml fermented red wine
- 480 ml beef stock
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves or bay leaves
- 3 carrots
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Will yield 1.5 to 2 kg of roast beef thighs
Cooking Beef Thighs and Portobello Mushrooms in a Slow Cooker
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 75 grams of sliced portobello baby mushrooms
- 1.5 kg beef thigh
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 240 ml fermented red wine or beef broth
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. Dijon's mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbsp. cold water
Will yield 1.5 kg of roast beef thighs
Step
Method 1 of 2: Roasting Beef Thighs and Vegetables in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and season the meat
While waiting for the oven to heat up, place 1.5 to 2 kg of ground beef on a plate or cutting board, then thoroughly season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Apply the spices to the surface of the meat using your fingers
Step 2. Fry each side of the meat for 2 to 3 minutes
Heat 60 ml of vegetable oil over medium heat in a wok or cast-iron skillet. Once the oil is hot and the surface looks shiny, place the seasoned meat in the pan. Then, fry each side of the meat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Frying the surface of the meat will make it brown in color and richer in taste as it cooks. To enrich the taste, try basting the meat with various herbs or spices of your choice.
- Most likely, the meat will stick to the bottom of the pan if removed before the surface is fully cooked.
Step 3. Add the onions, garlic, and tomatoes to the pan and cook all three for 3 to 5 minutes
Peel 2 yellow onions and cut each into four equal-sized pieces. After that, add the chopped onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic that have been crushed, and 1 tbsp. tomato paste into a pot of meat. Stir and cook the mixture until the onion is slightly softened.
Cook garlic and onions until fragrant
Step 4. Heat the fermented red wine, stock, thyme, and bay leaf or bay leaf in a saucepan
Place 240 ml of fermented red wine and 480 ml of beef stock in a saucepan, then add 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves or bay leaves. Then, heat the solution over medium heat until small bubbles appear on the surface.
Step 5. Cover the pan and roast the meat for 1 1/2 hours
Turn off the stove and put a lid on the pot. After that, put on heat-resistant gloves and place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remember, every 1/2 kg of meat should be roasted for 20 minutes
Step 6. Add the chopped 3 carrots to the pan and roast the meat again for 1 hour
Peel and cut 3 carrots with a thickness of 1.3 cm. Then, open the lid of the pot and sprinkle the carrot pieces over the sides of the meat. Then, cover the pot again and roast the carrots and meat in it for 1 hour.
Carrots can be substituted for other vegetables such as potatoes, turnips (a turnip-like vegetable), or parsnips (a root vegetable similar to carrots)
Step 7. Remove the cooked meat from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes
Turn off the oven and transfer the meat to a serving plate or cutting board. After that, cover the surface of the meat with aluminum foil and rest for the recommended time. While waiting for the meat to be ready to serve, arrange the roasted carrots on a serving plate.
Ideally, the center of the cooked meat should be soft when pierced with a knife or fork
Step 8. Slice and serve the cooked meat
use a very sharp knife to slice the meat to a thickness of 1.3 cm. After that, the meat can be served directly with carrot pieces along with the juices. Also sprinkle the meat with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
- If you'd like, you can process the juices left at the bottom of the pan into a sauce.
- Store leftover meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Method 2 of 2: Cooking Beef Thighs and Mushrooms in a Slow Cooking Pot
Step 1. Place the chopped onion and mushroom in a slow cooker
First of all, cut the onion to a thickness of 2.5 cm, then put the chopped onion in a slow cooker. After that, also add 75 grams of sliced portobello mushrooms into it.
If you don't have portobello mushrooms, you can also use white button mushrooms
Step 2. Season the meat and cut it in half longitudinally
Place 1.5 kg of ground beef on a plate or cutting board, then season the surface with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Then, use a very sharp knife to slice the meat lengthwise and arrange them on top of the onion and mushroom pile.
Press the meat with your fingers to spread the seasoning over the entire surface
Step 3. Combine the fermented red wine, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
Pour 240 ml of dry fermented red wine or beef stock into a bowl and add 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce into it.
Use vegetable stock if you don't have fermented red wine or beef stock
Step 4. Pour the marinade all over the meat, then cook the meat for 6 to 8 hours
Cover and operate the slow cooker on the lowest power. After cooking for 6 hours, pierce the meat with a fork or knife to check for doneness.
If the meat is not yet tender, continue cooking at 30 minute intervals
Step 5. Rest the meat for 20 minutes
Transfer the cooked meat to a serving plate or cutting board, then cover the surface with aluminum foil. Remember, the meat needs to be rested so that the juices can spread to every fiber of the meat and cook the meat perfectly.
Step 6. Mix the cornstarch with cold water, then pour the flour solution into the slow cooker
First of all, add 2 tbsp. cornstarch and 2 tbsp. cold water into a bowl, then stir the two until well mixed and no lumps. After that, pour the flour solution into the slow cooker.
Step 7. Cover the pot and cook the sauce for 30 minutes
Operate the slow cooker on its highest power, then allow the liquid to thicken and cook to perfection. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and stir in the sauce, which should have thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste to taste.
Step 8. Serve the beef thighs with the side vegetables
First, slice the cooked beef thigh with a thickness of 1.3 cm. After that, arrange the sliced meat on a serving plate, then serve with onions and mushrooms. Place a small bowl of meat sauce on the edge of the plate.
