I made this with chuck roast that I cut into cubes. I like the size of the piece of meat to correspond with the size of the vegetable with in the pot. It helps in the evenness of cooking plus it looks good on the plate. I have tried a number of recipes for stew and never liked them as much as this. It is an adaptable recipe that you can enhance with herbs and other vegetables. It’s a great stew to reheat. Sometimes I make it and refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors meld and the fat to rise to the top for skimming off. Slow cooking this in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours makes a big difference.
Beef Stew
Prep Time 15-30 min
Cooking Time 4-5 hours
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb chuck roast cut into cubes
1 whole Medium onion diced
1/4-1/2 cup flour for dredging
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black or white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
5-6 whole carrots cut into pieces the size of beef cubes
5-6 whole medium size potatoes cut into quarters
8 oz whole button mushrooms cut in half
4 cups chicken or beef stock (can use water just add 2 bullion cubes)
1-2 tbsp mustard whole grain or Dijon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
In a bag blend flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and blend. In batches add the cubed beef close bag and shake until well coated. In a Dutch oven brown the beef cubes in batches not crowding them. When brown set them aside and add onions and mushrooms to sauté until golden. (You can brown everything in a separate pan and then put everything in the dutch oven if you prefer.)Return beef to Dutch oven add the potatoes and carrots. Add stock, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir lightly to mix. Cover and put in oven for 4-5 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
When hot and bubbly right after you remove from oven and you want to thicken the stew take a 1/4 cup of flour and stir in 1/4-1/2 cup liquid from stew in a bowl carefully. Add that mixture to the stew and gently stir until desired consistency. To reheat the stew I place a desired amount in a casserole dish and heat it in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 mins.