Provençal-Style Braised Steaks

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Serves 4

Cooking Time 8 to 9 hours on Low or 5 to 6 hours on High

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted to complement rich, tender braised steaks with a bright, aromatic tomato sauce with Italian flavors. Blade steaks, a reasonably priced cut that turns meltingly tender when slow-cooked, had lots of meaty flavor. For a flavor-packed base for our sauce, we microwaved onions, tomato paste, garlic, anchovy, and red pepper flakes to bring out their flavors. We added this potent mixture to the slow cooker with the steaks; as the steaks cooked, their juices melded with the aromatics to create a deeply flavorful sauce. Once the meat was tender, we simply strained the sauce and stirred in briny olives and capers and plenty of fresh parsley for a bright sauce that perfectly balanced the rich steak. Serve over egg noodles. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

2	cups chopped onions
2	tablespoons minced garlic
2	tablespoons tomato paste
1	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	anchovy fillet, rinsed and minced
⅛	teaspoon red pepper flakes
4	(8-ounce) beef blade steaks, ¾ to 1 inch thick
	Salt and pepper
½	cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
¼	cup minced fresh parsley
2	tablespoons capers, rinsed

1. Microwave onions, garlic, tomato paste, oil, anchovy, and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Season steaks with pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 8 to 9 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high.

2. Transfer steaks to serving dish and tent with aluminum foil. Strain sauce into fat separator, let sit for 5 minutes, then pour defatted sauce into bowl. Stir in olives, parsley, and capers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.