Keep reading here it you want to find out how Brexit was the catalyst for us getting a slow cooker.

My slowcooker is a treasured possession. It was an impulse buy, and in the Firehouse household, that means we only thought about it for a few weeks before committing to it. I first saw it on TV, Helmsley and Helmsley made a curry in it. I couldn’t tell you much about the curry, but the slowcooker, in all it’s  sleek, cast iron glory stuck with me. Cast iron is not for the faint hearted, it requires a lot of tender loving care. It can’t be washed with soap, needs to be oiled and dried after each use and required a 6 monthly seasoning which is time consuming. But, the browning you get on it is without compare. My pans, which we have had for nearly 6 years are mostly non stick, from careful use and preservation. Ask my husband, there is nothing quite like a big breakfast cooked in a skillet.

So we set our sights on the Netherton Foundry Slowcooker.

It was pricier than the offerings at Kmart and Target, even Myer. But, we really loved the look, the feel and were set on cast iron. Then BREXIT happened, and while Britain reeled, we took advantage of the falling pound and bought a slow cooker. Neat huh? Yes for me and my slowcooker, not so much for Britain.

Ingredients 

• 1 kg of curry beef (with bone) cut into 2 inch chunks
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 red onion finely slices
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• handful of curry leaves
• 2 green chillis sliced
• 1 stick of lemon grass chopped and the root crushed
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. soy
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 2 potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes

Method

If your slow cooker can go directly onto the stove, there’s not need to use a frying pan. Otherwise, just use a skillet or pan to fry anything that’s needed and transfer into the the base of your slow cooker as described below.

In skillet or frying pan, fry off the beef in batches adding salt and pepper to each batch. When browned, set the beef aside.

In the same frying pan, add another touch of oil and add the sliced onions. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften a little, add to this the ginger, garlic, curry leaves, green chillis and lemon grass. Fry for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant.

To the slow cooker add the beef, onion mixture and the remaining ingredients except the potatoes. Add a 1/2 cup of water as needed and stir before replacing the lid and cooking on low for 4-6 hours or until the beef is tender.  In the last hour of cooking, add the potatoes, the curry is done with the potato is cooked through.

Serve hot with rice. Can be frozen without the potaotes. We find the potatoes change texture in the freezer, so best to avoid freezing them.