Beef Stew!

This is a recipe I got from a Susan Branch cookbook.  It was wonderful, but I wanted to do it in the crockpot and I had to make a few adjustments.  One of the wonderful things about the original recipe was a grated potato added to the stew.  It thickened it just perfectly.  Well, when I tried this in the crockpot, I just ended up with pieces of grated potato floating in the stew.  Not pretty.  Also the stew didn't thicken in the crockpot.  So here is my version of the recipe for the crockpot which does thicken because of the sauce you make and add.  This will make enough for eight servings.  So if you have a small family freeze half and there's another free meal!

 

CROCK POT BEEF STEW

 

1 1/2 to 2 lbs beef.  You can use top round, London broil, chuck or whatever you usually use for stew

4 large carrots peeled and sliced

4 ribs of celery sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 large onion sliced

1 small onion left whole

6 medium potatoes, peeled halved and sliced into 1/2" pieces

3 cloves of garlic chopped

3 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 t dried

 

1/2 cup flour

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t paprika

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

 

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

1 C red wine

2 C water

2 t beef base

 

Trim meat and cut into one inch cubes.  Combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large zip loc bag and shake well.  Add beef cubes and shake until they are all coated.  Put carrots, celery and sliced onion into the bottom of the crock pot.  Poke the cloves into the small onion and place that in the crock pot. Also add the bay leaf and thyme.  Heat oil, butter and chopped garlic in a large heavy skillet.  Remove beef from the baggie; add to the skillet, but save the flour mixture.  Brown beef on all sides.  Cook quickly, you only want to brown the meat, not cook it.  There should still be lots of red juice coming out.  Transfer meat to the crock pot.  If there is still oil left in the skillet add the remaining flour mixture from the baggie.  If there isn't enough oil/ butter in the pan add some olive oil--about a tablespoon or two.  So now we make a roux.  Use a whisk to incorporate the flour into the oil/butter mixture.  Cook for three or four minutes.  Add the red wine.  Continue to whisk and raise heat until the alcohol in the wine is cooked off, you will be able to notice that you no longer smell the strong wine smell.  Add the water and beef base and continue to cook until mixture thickens slightly.  If it gets too thick add some water.  Pour this sauce into the crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours.  Meat will fall apart with a fork.

 

When you have about 20 minutes cooking time left, you can add frozen peas or green beans to the crock pot and cook the remaining 20 minutes.  We don't do this because we are happy with the celery, carrots and potatoes as a vegetable.  Another thing you can add is a small can of tomato sauce.  You would do this when you add the sauce.  This changes the flavor a little, but it is really good.  Before you serve, remove the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and small onion.  Serve with crusty bread.  Have you noticed I am really big on the crusty bread? 

 

Enjoy!  Please leave comments and questions below.  I would love to hear from you!

 

Keep Cooking!

 

Carol