Hearty Classic Beef Stew
- Serves: 6 – 8
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 1 – 2 hours
This is a perfect comfort food for a cold winter day or when you have plenty of time to prepare a meal for your family. The key to this recipe is to dredge the beef in seasoned flour and make sure it is well browned off then allow plenty of time for it to simmer to tenderize the meat and bring out the flavor. Served in a large sourdough round hollowed out into a bowl and you have a spectacular centerpiece for a nice family dinner.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 2 1/2 | lbs | beef (cross rib, chuck, or round work well) cut into 1 ½” cubes |
| 1/4 | cup | flour |
| 1/2 | tsp | salt |
| 1/2 | tsp | pepper |
| 1 | tsp | garlic powder |
| 1/4 | tsp | celery salt |
| 5 | large | potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes |
| 4 | carrots, peeled and cut into large 1″ chunks | |
| 4 | stalks | celery, washed and cut into large chunks |
| 1 | medium | yellow onion cubed coarsely |
To prepare:
Combine the flour with the salt, pepper, and seasonings in a large Ziploc baggie. Next, toss in the beef cubes and shake well to coat. Dust off excess flour and sauté in 2 tbsp oil using a heated, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium high heat. Cook 7-10 minutes or until the beef is well browned on all sides. Cover with 3 quarts water and reduce heat to a simmer, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick. Cover and simmer at least 45 minutes or until the beef starts to get tender. Next, add in the potatoes, onions, carrots and celery and simmer another 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If needed, whisk in a flour and water roux (3 tbsp flour whisked into ½ cup of cold water) and return to a boil to thicken the stew. Serve in toasted, hollowed out sourdough bread bowls or with plenty of warmed crusty French bread.
