Of all of the e-mails I get about beef, requests for stew meat recipes are one of the most common. This is a standard beef stew that is quick and easy to throw together on a busy day.
If you need a change of pace, you can replace some of the beef stock with tomato juice or sauce. The vegetables can be omitted, reduced or changed as well, if you need it low carb. This recipe is very forgiving.
From the Menu Mailer
2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
¼ cup flour of your choice
1 tsp salt, divided
½ tsp pepper
1½ cups beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
2 potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
Combine the beef, four, ½ tsp of the salt and the pepper in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients and the remaining salt and stir. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours. Stir again before serving.
[boilerplate plate = “sig” search = “replace” usequery=”anything”]
For those who work away from home, there is a lazier way, but honestly it’s not as good. But I used to do this when I worked 60-70 hours/week.
They sell frozen stew veggies, a package containing potatoes, carrots, celery and onion, in 16 oz packages. I’d throw two of those in the bottom of the crockpot. Then throw a small roast (1-3 lbs) on top. No liquid needed. Turn on low and let go all day.
By the time you get home, the meat can be shredded. Pour off the liquid into a saucepan and thicken into a gravy however you make gravy (sadly, I used to just use a package of brown gravy mix). Then toss the meat and gravy back in the crockpot with the veggies and mix.
It’s NOT as good, cause you’re not browning meat, and the veggies overcook a bit. But. it beats the heck out of buying pizza on the way home and literally only takes 1 minute in the morning to make. And it smells wonderful to come home too after a long day.