MAKES: 6 servings TESTED BY: Linda B.
079 Old-Fashioned Beef Stew
TASTING COMMENTS:
We tested this recipe side by side using both the stove-top and slow cooker methods. Both had great flavor but we got the best body from the stove-top version.—LB
Prep 20 minutes cook 1 hour 30 minutes
- 2 lb. beef chuck roast or beef stew meat
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 cups vegetable juice
- 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 Tbsp. Worcesershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
- ½ tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 carrots, bias-sliced ¼ inch thick
Beef chuck is a fatty cut. We start out with 2 lb. of meat because after trimming, you wind up with about 1½ lb. for the stew.
1. Trim fat from meat; cut into ¾-inch pieces. In a large resealable plastic bag combine flour and pepper. Add meat to bag; shake until evenly coated. In a large pot or Dutch oven brown half the meat in half the oil over medium-high heat; remove meat from pot. Repeat with remaining meat and oil. Return all meat to pot. Stir in the next eight ingredients (through bay leaf). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1 hour.
2. Stir potatoes and carrots into stew. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 to 40 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.
Per serving 476 cal., 20 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 125 mg chol., 640 mg sodium, 30 g carb., 4 g fiber, 9 g sugars, 46 g pro.
Slow Cooker Directions Prepare and brown meat as directed. In a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker layer meat, onions, celery, potatoes, and carrots. Decrease vegetable juice to 2 cups. Combine vegetable juice, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, marjoram, and bay leaf. Pour over meat and vegetables in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or high 5 to 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.
SWITCH YOUR ROOTS If you like, you can substitute fingerling potatoes and parsnips for the carrots and red potatoes. Peel and slice the parsnips as you would carrots and cut the fingerlings into 1-inch chunks.
personal pies Make tasty individual beef pot pies with leftover beef stew. Ladle the stew into small casseroles or large ramekins. Top with squares of purchased piecrust or puff pastry and bake in a 400°F oven until stew is bubbly and pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
it’s in the sauce Developed by the English in India but first bottled in Worcester, England, this thin, dark, piquant sauce is made from garlic, soy sauce, tamarind, onions, molasses, lime, anchovies, vinegar, and seasonings.
TESTING NOTES
1. Coating the meat cubes in seasoned flour accomplishes two things. The light coating of flour acts as a thickener for the stew as it cooks and the seasoning gives it flavor.
2. Browning meat creates what is called the Maillard reaction—a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives the meat its rich, beefy flavor. Brown just half of the meat at a time to achieve a deeply colored crust rather than overcrowding the pan and steaming it.
