Beef Stew with Prunes

Source: Alya’s mom :~)

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs stew meat (chuck, round, etc.), cubed (1" pieces or so)
• 1 med-lg onion, minced
• a large handful of prunes
• flavorful red juice (pomegranate, cherry, etc.)
• (optional) herbs/spices (bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, etc.)
• sugar (to taste; depends on how sour the juice is. For sweet juices, sugar isn’t needed)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• oil for sauteing

1. Sautee minced onion on med/med-low until softened.
2. Preheat slow cooker on “high”.
3. Add cubed beef to sauteed onion. Cook on high heat until all the liquid coming out of the beef has evaporated, 20-30 min.
4. Transfer beef & onion mixture to slow cooker. Add enough juice to just cover the meat. Add all the flavorings (herbs/spices, sugar, salt, pepper).
5. Cook for 2-3 hours on high, or longer on low if that’s more convenient.
6. Taste the sauce for salt/pepper/sugar, and adjust as needed.