Beef tips and gravy is an old-style entree for a family meal. It's folk food, designed to feed a crowd of people quickly and economically. It uses a plain cut of meat, traditionally the tip of the sirloin, but we use stew meat because we can't find sirloin tip. The recipe is super-simple when modernized. We use it when we're feeding grandkids and don't have time to cook. It's easy to cut down to a smaller amount and easier to bump up for a larger crowd.
Beef Tips
3 lbs stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
4 packets McCormick brown gravy mix.
We trim the meat and use a low-fat gravy mix. Dump the meat into the slow-cooker. Mix the gravy mix with water following package directions. This should yield four cups liquid. Pour the gravy over the stew meat, put the cover on the slow cooker. Turn the cooker on LOW and walk away from it for about eight or ten hours. You can stir it occasionally if you want to, but that's certainly not required. About fifteen minutes before you're ready to eat, make a pot of rice and put a can of something on the stove. We like either whole kernel corn or small English peas.
Supper doesn't get much simpler than that. Dump the meat in the slow cooker, add gravy, leave it alone.
But, it is so very good.
I do something similar. I use boneless round steak which goes on sale around here quite frequently for $1.99/lb. I make my gravy out of McCormick's beef soup base reconstituted to package instructions in hot water then thickened with either flour or cornstarch. I cut the steak into bite size bits and simmer it in my biggest covered skillet for about three hours or so. I like it over rice or noodles. It's much better the next day. Sometimes I doll it up with a can of mushroom bits and pieces and/or a teaspoon of minced garlic and a couple of tablespoons of dried onion bits. Garlic and onion added in that way make fair weather and open windows a plus. Fold in a cup of sour cream to make a very creditable Beef Stroganoff.
ReplyDeleteShoot, sour cream folded into nearly anything makes it creditable.
Gerry N.