Slow Cooked Beef with Red Wine and Peppercorns

I love to buy meat when it's marked down and then figure out what to do with it. I once overheard a woman say she would never buy marked down meat. More for us sensible people I say!

This was a smaller piece of blade, probably only about 950g. I found this recipe for the slow cooker.

1 tbs olive oil
1.2kg-piece beef bolar blade
2 large brown onions, halved, cut into thin wedges
375ml (1 cup) red wine
250ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
1 x 30g can green peppercorns, drained
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 whole peeled garlic cloves

Heat half the oil a pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook,
turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until browned.

Transfer to a plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and
cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Put
the beef, red wine, stock, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves and garlic into the slow cooker with the garlic and onion. Cook on low for eight hours.

Transfer beef to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Simmer the sauce on the stove until it reduces, or as I did, add some cornflour to thicken it.

Cut the beef thickly across the grain. I served it with garlic mashed potato and beans and carrots with an almondine type sauce, flaked almonds sauteed in butter then with a dash of lemon juice. Not everyday fare due to the high fat but delicious and matched the beef perfectly.

I did a single serve of couscous for Em but there was so much we had a bit too. I will definitely make this again, the flavours were wonderful. I used a young Merlot, but I think an older, softer red wine would work better.