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Beef Stew

Source of Recipe

Stacy


Recipe Introduction

You need to adjust the ingredients depending on how much meat you have. This recipe used about 3 lbs of meat. When I use less meat I only use 1 can of sauce. Be careful not to cook the stew for too long or the meat will fall apart. It will still be great - but you will not have whole pieces of meat. I cooked it for 3 1/2 hrs total and it was a bit too long. The meat was still whole but some of it started falling apart.

List of Ingredients


3 lbs stew meat
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle beer (or equal amt of water)
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
2 spoons of beef base (optional - you could also use bouillon cubes)
salt & pepper
water
Gravy Master - Optional
several tablespoons corn starch mixed with an equal amt of cold water
various spices including oregano, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder
Olive oil or regular oil
Potatos, peeled and quartered
Carrots - either whole baby carrots or regular carrots cut into circles
1/2 box of frozen mixed vegetables (optional)

Cornstarch to thicken gravy


Recipe

Heat oil in a pot. Generously salt and pepper the meat. Place the meat in the pan without any of it touching. You may have to brown in in several batches. Brown well on each side. When all of the meat is browned, pour some water into the pot and scrape up the bits. Lower the heat and add the onions to the pot and cans of tomato sauce, bottle of beer and enough water to come slighly past the level of the meat and onions. Add minced garlic, a dash of Gravy Master (if using) and spices to your taste. If using bouillon - watch how much salt you add.

Let simmer on medium flame in covered pot for about 2 hrs depending on how big the meat is and how much there is. When meat is almost all the way tender - add the potatos and carrots and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy. In the last 5 minutes, add the frozen mixed vegetables if desired.

Now to thicken the gravy - slowly stir in cornstarch that has been dissolved in an equal amt of cold water and bring stew to boil for 1 minute. Start with 2 TBSP depending on how much liquid you have in the pot and then add more if necessary. For the big pot I made I needed about 3 1/2 TBSP cornstarch mixed with an equal amt of cold water to make a nice gravy.

Serve with rice and biscuits.