Email to Cat      

Beef and Mushroom Stew

Source of Recipe

"The Old Farmer's Almanac Comfort Food" by Ken Haedrich


Recipe Introduction

"Watch this pot so that it never boils, or the meat will become tough."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds stew beef, cut into bite-size pieces
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
â—¦ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
â—¦ 1 large onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
â—¦ ½ pound mushrooms, sliced
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 ½ cups beef broth
â—¦ 1 cup tomato juice
â—¦ ½ cup dry red wine
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
â—¦ 2 bay leaves
â—¦ 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
â—¦ 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
â—¦ 2 cups fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
â—¦ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 1 tablespoon ketchup



Recipe

Combine the stew beef and ¼ cup of flour in a large plastic bag and shake well to coat the meat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Working in two batches, shake the excess flour off half of the meat, put that meat into the pot, and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the meat to a heatproof dish. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and brown the remaining meat.

Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and first batch of browned beef to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion is soft. Add the beef broth, tomato juice, wine, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Ladle ¾ cup of the broth into a medium bowl and set aside.
To the large pot, add the potatoes, carrots, green beans, thyme, oregano, pepper, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Cover and continue to simmer for 1 hour more, or until the vegetables are tender.

About 10 minutes before serving, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour to the reserved broth. Whisk until smooth, then add to the stew. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring often, until thickened. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings