New Stew Review

Here's the recipe for my first  stew of the cooler season. I wasn't measuring anything when I made it but it tasted so great that I am approximating so I can share. Warning thought: this is not  a recipe for people who do not have a sense of spicing; for that please see the previous goat or lamb stew recipes which are much more reliable. This culinary rif is inspired by a Peruvian Kid Stew I saw in Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel Presilla. 

• 1 small goat roast; bone-in. I imagine other red meat roasts will work just as well.

• 5 small cloves of garlic; chopped

• 4 sticks of celery; coarsely chopped

• Half of a butternut squash; cut into large bite sized pieces

• 1 shallot or 2; quartered

• 2 T peanut oil or ghee

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp smoky paprika

• 2 star anise pods

• 4 allspice pods

• 1 fist of thyme from the window box

• 1 small hot fresh red chili from the garden

• 1 dried chili from the Mexican store; toasted first over a flame and broken into pieces.

• 1 lime squeezed over the whole thing

• salt to taste

First, salt & pepper the roast & set aside while chopping veggies & herbs. Turn the slow cooker to high & heat oil. Chop celery, squash, and shallots separately. Add shallots & peppers to the slow cooker; sauté.  Add spices & toast till fragrant. Add the roast & snuggle the vegetables around it. Add water to the crock pot till nearly covering the roast. Cook covered on medium high heat for as long as you have time (not more than 1 hour); turning the meat once or twice. Squeeze lime juice & add salt & pepper to taste. I added leftover rice from breakfast also at this point. Turn to medium (or low if you will be out a long time) & let cook until dinner, at least 2 hours. Enjoy with crusty bread & butter. Super delicious!