Does any one know how to make a good stew?!
Answers: beef stew is really easy. you can but the meat already cut up at the store, add some carrots, celery, and onion. Add enough water to cover everything well. The spices I use all the time are thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, beef bullion and cilantro. also add some salt and pepper to taste. Add everything and bring to a boil. Once you bring it to a boil turn it down to medium and cook until the meat and veggies are tender. Adjust the spices as needed.
I start my stew by making a seasoned flour with flour, coarse salt, fresh ground pepper, white pepper, crush rosemary and garlic powder. I dredge pieces of stew meat (or cubed good steak for a really special stew) in the flour, then saute in 1/2 oil and 1/2 bacon grease (adds good flavor). I use a large non-stick soup pot with a heavy bottom. When meat is browned on edges add a few cloves of crushed garlic, chopped onion, celery and bell pepper, about 1/2 cup of each. Add a little more oil if you need to keep the veggies from sticking and do not let the garlic get brown, take it out if it starts to get brown. Add some halfed baby mushrooms if you like them. Cook all this stirring around until veggies start to get tender. Add a bay leaf to the pot then Add 1/2 c red wine and beef broth to the hot pot so that it all boils up and boils while you scrape the stuck bits off the bottom of the pan for flavor. Add some chucks of carrot and simmer for about an hour until meat starts to get slightly tender. Then add some chunks of potato and turnip and a can of crushed or whole (cut up) tomatoes with juice. At this point you can adjust your amount of beef broth (lo sodium) and thicken with flour or some bottled gravy such as Heinz Savory Beef. Also check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Add a handful of quick barley if you like that in you like it and some frozen peas. Simmer on very low until meat is tender enough to melt in yuor mouth and veggies are done.
Throw in what sounds good, cook in crock pot overnight. Beef, corn, tomatoes, green beans, etc. Or you can do a working woman's version of brunswick stew (low overnight in the crock pot):
1 container of Lloyds BBQ
1 can of chicken
2 cans of creamed corn
2 cans stewed tomatoes
Cut up beef chuck roast and add to crockpot. Add cut up potatoes, celery and onions. Add one bag of frozen mixed veggies and 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Add 1 T each of garlic powder and onion powder and black pepper. Add salt later after you taste. Add 1 TB Tabasco sauce. Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is our recipe. Just add or delete your favorite veggies. Serve with buttery garlic bread. Stew freezes great in individual containers.
This is my family fav
Beef stew casserole
2 pounds beef, for stew, cut into bite size cubes
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced carrots
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 to 6 potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled and cubed
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup burgundy wine
1/2 cup water
1 dried bay leaf, crumbled fine (optional)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine the beef, carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, salt and pepper in a 4 quart oven safe casserole or baking dish.
Stir together the mushroom soup, wine, water and bay leaf.
Pour over beef-vegetable mixture.
Cover tightly and bake for 5 hours.
We just had this last Tuesday and it was fabulous.
good cubed steak
flour seasoned with fresh ground salt & pepper
Shake the beef in a plastic bag fully coating with the seasoned flour. Saute in a pot of hot oil. After the meat is nice and brown add nice beef stock, a large can of tomatoes or stewed tomatoes, fresh green beans, chopped potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, fresh mushrooms, chopped zucchini, chopped yellow squash, frozen corn. Cover and bake all day. There should not be a need for any more seasoning, but season with salt and pepper if necessary.