I have memories from my childhood of spending hours playing outside in the snow with my brother.  After a while, our knit mittens were soaked with melted snow and our toes were numb from the cold.  When we would go inside for dinner after these cold weather romps, my mom would have thick soups and stews waiting for us.  One of my favorites was always beef stew.  It’s your typical Western European meat n’ potatoes dish and it can be one of the most heart-warming dishes ever or it can basically taste like dirt.

Since this is what it looked like outside, some beef stew was definitely in order.  I don’t make it like my mom, but I’ve tried to make it close.  My mom, like many moms, uses a seasoning packet for beef stew and it’s taken me a while to get the same flavor.  I don’t have much against those seasoning packets (aside from the astronomical amounts of salt contained in them), it’s just that I never think to buy them for my usual staples and I don’t like to have to store little awkward things like that.  So this is my beef stew recipe, and it’s really quite good.

Beef Stew

My Recipe

1 Package beef stew meat

Salt and Pepper

1/3 cup flour

4 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-1/2 cups potato chopped into 1-inch chunks

1-1/2 cups carrots, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1-1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsely

1-1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

2 cans beef broth (you can vary this with 1 cup beef broth and 1 cup red wine OR 1 cup beef broth and 1 cup beer.  I’ve tried all and all are good)

1 cup water

Chop all of your vegetable and set aside.  Yes, do this first since there are so many vegetables to cut up.  Process means everything in dishes like this.

Salt and pepper your stew meat before you dredge it in flour.  If you add the salt and pepper to the flour and then try to dredge it, the meat won’t get enough seasoning.  Season it first.

Dredge the meat lightly in the flour and add to a heated dutch oven with 2 Tblsp. of oil.

You will most likely need to do this in 2 or maybe 3 batches.  You have to be very careful not to over crowd the pan with meat.  You want the meat to brown and get a skin to it without boiling it and making it slimey.  What you’ll get is a taste to your stew like the essence of steak has been added.  You want the essence of steak, right?  Of course you do.

Brown the meat on both sides and set aside on a plate while you do the other batches.  Once all the meat has been browned, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add your diced onions to the hot pot.  When the onions start to turn translucent, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (burned garlic will ruin this stew).  Add the carrots and stir about for 2 minutes.

Now add your broth (or whatever other liquid combination you choose) and water.  Once the liquid becomes hot, add the rest of the vegetables.  Add the water, tomato sauce, and herbs.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for at least 45 minutes.

Long cooking will turn this pot of mess into a pot of smooth, thick, goodness that will warm cold bones on a snowy day.  Serve this with some crusty bread, rolls, biscuits, or even buttered white bread.  It’s all about preference there.

Either way, you’re in for a treat with a warm bowl of this.  I hope you try it.  It’s a simple home-cooked dish and if you are careful, you will achieve home-cooked perfection.  Enjoy!