Slow-Oven Stews

We have tried - in vain - to use and enjoy slow cookers. Though we like turning on a crockpot and walking away, we've noticed the trade-off for that convenience is often mushy or stringy food. In the end, nothing works better than an oven. We're not suggesting that you switch it on before work and leave a dish to cook all day, but you can certainly slip something into a pot and let it cook slowly - very slowly, in fact - on the weekend, while you're doing laundry and watching videos. We used our oven to cook six kinds of beans with a big chunk of boneless ham to make a warming stew (vegetarians can make the same dish without the meat), and to simmer chuck roast, first on its own with fresh ginger, then with dried fruits and crystallized ginger. It may not be as carefree as flipping the switch on a slow cooker, but the taste and texture are worth the extra effort. And the heat from the oven will warm the winter kitchen like no slow cooker ever could.

SIX-BEAN STEW WITH HAM
SERVES 6

1/2 cup dried navy beans
1/2 cup dried cannellini beans
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
1/2 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup dried Great Northern beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3/4 cup crushed canned tomatoes
1 1/2-pound-piece boneless ham
12 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine the navy, cannellini, pinto, adzuki, kidney, and Great Northern beans. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Let the beans soak at room temperature overnight. Drain the beans into a colander.

Set the oven at 275 degrees. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the drained beans, rosemary, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.

Add the ham and water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook the beans for 4 to 5 hours or until they are very tender. Halfway through cooking, turn the ham over in the pot.

Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Return the ham pieces to the stew. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.
CHUCK ROAST WITH GINGER SERVES 8

1 boneless chuck roast (5 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3 large onions, each cut into 8 wedges
1 pound (8 medium) carrots, each cut into 4 pieces
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, cut into thick matchsticks
1 cup orange juice

Set the oven at 325 degrees. Have on hand a deep 15-inch baking dish.

Remove any string or mesh wrapping from the meat. In a large flameproof casserole, combine the meat, salt, pepper, fresh ginger, and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and skim well. Turn the meat and skim again.

Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook the meat for 2 hours, turning it halfway through cooking. Let the mixture cool completely. Use tongs to remove and discard the fresh ginger.

Note: Prepare ahead up to this point a day in advance. Refrigerate the meat separately from the liquid. The next day, discard the fat on the liquid. If not preparing ahead, spoon the fat from the surface of the liquid.

Cut the meat along its natural lines into 3-inch pieces. Trim the excess fat.

Return the meat to the liquid. Add the onions, carrots, apricots, cranberries, crystallized ginger, and orange juice. Bring to a boil.

Transfer the mixture, using tongs and a large metal spoon, to the baking dish. Cover with foil. Cook the mixture for 1 hour. Remove the foil. Continue cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender and the cooking liquid is syrupy (total cooking time is 4 to 4 1/2 hours).

Skim off any fat on the surface of the liquid. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Spoon the meat, vegetables, and juices in the pan onto deep plates. Serve at once.