Recipe - Slow Cooked Steak and Kidney (or mushrooms or onions)

Sometimes it’s tricky trying to juggle work and family and the various commitments that go with it.  That’s why I love my slow cooker!  Today I knew I wouldn’t be home in the late afternoon, that the kids would need to be fed and heading out the door for Taiko by 6pm.  What to do?  When I had 5 mins to spare at lunchtime (yes, how lucky am I to work where I do?!) I threw together my son’s favourite: Steak and Kidney.  You can just as easily replace the kidneys with mushrooms or leave out both and it becomes Braised Steak & Onions, but oh so much better than the canned stuff!

STEAK AND KIDNEY

1.5 - 2 Kg diced steak and kidney (get your butcher to prepare this)

1 - 2 cups mushrooms (optional)

3 - 4 onions, roughly chopped into big chunks

2 tb buckwheat or rice  flour

1/2 cup water

Organic sea salt to taste (approx 2 -3 teaspoons)

Cracked black pepper to taste

Add the meat(s) and onion (and mushrooms if using) to the slow cooker.   Mix with a wooden spoon to combine.  Sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over the top and mix again.    Pour in 1/2 cup water and place the lid on the cooker.  Cook for 1 hour on high plus 3 - 4 hours on low (depending on the size of the beef chunks).   Serve with some brown rice and steamed veg.

This dish is perfect for protein types who thrive on offal meats such as kidney due to their high content of purines (a type of protein).

Once upon a time (way back when) I would have served this with dumplings…and yes I do miss them!  So if anyone knows any good recipes for gluten free dumplings I would be very grateful!  Stay tuned and I will post a recipe for gluten free yorkshire puddings which are an interesting substitute, and definitely worth a go.