Smoky Slow Cooker London Broil with Mashed Cauliflower

I have a confession. I do not like my slow cooker. I WANT to like it but it does not like me because I tend to use lean cuts of meat.


Does anyone else have problems with slow cookers when you try to cook a recipe with fairly lean meat for eight to ten hours on low? Everything that comes out tastes exactly the same. Like it's been cooked for ten hours. Cooked to death. I keep trying it over and over expecting a different result. I think this means I'm insane.


But in my defense I think I figured out a new secret. Cook the meat but then make a sauce to put on the meat after the cooking process is complete. Shoot, you could probably season and sear the meat (step 1) and then throw it in the slow cooker with some beef broth and then just skip to step 4. Maybe I’ll try that next time and let you know how it comes out. When I tasted the ROOSC (right-out-of-the-slow-cooker) meat I was bummed I couldn't taste all the ingredients I had added.


In the crockpot’s defense, if you make pot roast with the fattiest cut of meat you can find it will be really good. I used to do pot roast with a can of cream of mushroom and Lipton onion soup mix. That’s it. It didn’t even need broth because the fat creates it’s own “fat juice” and boy is that good. Who doesn’t like fat juice?

Smoky Slow Cooker London Broil with Mashed Cauliflower


Ingredients


Group 1.
1 1/2 to 2 lb London Broil (I chose this cut because it's so lean)
EVOO spray
Salt and pepper to taste


Group 2.
One sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
2 chopped chipotles in adobo
2 tsp adobo sauce
Dash of Ancho chili powder
2 tsp of tomato paste
1 Tbsp maple syrup, honey or molasses
1 lime, juiced
Dash of salt
Group 3.
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp Cocoa powder for baking
1 (8 oz) package of fresh slice Portobello mushrooms


Group 4. (My new secret slow cooker weapon….sauce)


1 (8 oz) can no salt added tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp cocoa powder (I use the Hershey Special Dark)
Agave to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)
Dash of chili powder
1 packet of instant coffee


(Cauliflower recipe to follow)


Directions


1. Spray a large skillet with EVOO spray and heat over medium high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper then sear each side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Place meat in slow cooker.


2. Puree the Group 2 ingredients in a blender or food processor and then pour into the heated pan. Stirring constantly cook for about 5 minutes.


3. To the skillet add the ingredients from Group 3 and bring to a boil then pour the mixture over the meat in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove the meat and mushrooms and shred the meat with a fork. Pour the desired amount of reserved liquid from the crock pot over the shredded meat and discard the remaining.


4. Mix the ingredients from Group 4 and bring to a boil in a small skillet, stirring constantly then pour this mixture over the shredded meat. Serve over mashed cauliflower.


Mashed Cauliflower


Ingredients


1 head of cauliflower
Garlic Garlic, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Butter spray (I use the Smart Balance), to taste
3 Tbsp light cream cheese
1/3 cup chicken broth


Directions


1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and steam for 20 minutes. Place them in a food processor and then add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.