Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy

I don't know about you, but I have been enjoying October evenings in August this week. I woke up to a 58 degree morning. 58 degrees! On August 20th! In South-Central Kansas!  I honor of our cooler weather, I made a hardy comfort food meal that is usually reserved for late fall or early winter. Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy. If you aren't so keen on mushrooms, you can always leave them out. When I first was considering experimenting with this dish, I perused the internet for ideas about ingredients, cuts of meat, etc. I think every recipe I came across included a packet of french onion soup mix and a can of cream of something. Over and over. Have no fear there will be no cream of anything here! (See what I did there?) 

This dish does only require 6 hours of cook time on LOW because I wanted the Beef to come out as "tips" (solid pieces) versus just shredding into pulled beef. 6 hours was perfect. They were still fork tender, but held together when I took them out to make the gravy. I did use a cut of meat called "Beef Chuck Shoulder Cross Rib Cut". I is essentially pre-cut strips of beef chuck shoulder. You could use a whole beef chuck shoulder as well. The pre-cut strips just saved me some knife work. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs of Beef Chuck Shoulder (Cross Rib Steak if you can find it)

28 oz of beef broth

1 6 oz can tomato paste

6 carrots (peeled & rough chopped)

1 yellow onion (peeled and rough chopped)

4 garlic cloves

8 oz of mushrooms (white or baby bella)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp black pepper

For cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy

2 TBSP corn starch

2 TBSP cold water 

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

Mix beef broth, tomato paste, onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl until the tomato paste is combined with the broth.

Cut the beef into 1" to 1.5" cubes and add to the crockpot.

Add the broth & vegetable mixture and stir. Try to keep the beef submerged in the liquid if possible. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.

After 6 hours, removed the beef tips from the liquid and add the mushrooms and cornstarch slurry (see below). Stir and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes or until gravy thickens to your liking. Then add the beef tips back to the gravy and stir to coat them with gravy.

Cornstarch Slurry: Mix 2 TBSP Cold Water & 2 TBSP Cornstarch

Most of the time, a cornstarch slurry has 2 parts water and 1 part cornstarch, but this gravy need some serious thickening power. Be sure to make the slurry in a cup first, then slowly add it to the liquid while stirring it in.

Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy - Roasted Potatoes - Parmesan Garlic Green Beans

Serve and enjoy!