Besides chicken soup, beef stew is another recipe that is perfect for a cold day. Especially once you get home after combating the almost -30 F cold. Once you step into your home’s threshold, you are embraced by the warmth and smell of cooking stew. The atmosphere just screams of “home” doesn’t it?
Serves 2.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless chuck steak, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch lenghts
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 large potato, scrubbed and cut into large chunks
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or lrage, flameproof casserole dish over high heat.
- When the oil begins to smoke, add the steak and cook while stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes, or until well-browned. Then transfer cooked meat to a bowl using slotted spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Stir in the flour and cook while stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Beat in 1 cup of the stock and cook, scraping up all the sediment from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the remaining stock and the carrots, celery, ketchup, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and 1 tsp of salt. Return the steak to the pot.
- Bring back the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
- Add the potatoes, replace the lid, and simmer for additional 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium, stirring occasionally for another 30 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
- If the stew becomes too thick, add a little more stock or water.
- After cooking, let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
The house smells divine cooking this thing! Try it!