The Best Beef Stew Ever

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds of beef stew meat
• Steak seasoning (I use Montreal)
• 1/2 cup flour
• beef stock (I swear by Kitchen Basics and usually use a whole box, by the time you add stock several times to the stew)
• 1/2 red wine (I use it if I have it, but good beef stock will do)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 bag baby carrots (about 20-30)
• 4-5 large red potatoes, cut to bite sized chunks
• 1 package of cremini mushrooms
• crushed red pepper, a few shakes
• salt and pepper, all along the way to add layers of flavor
• 3 T. worcestershire sauce
• 2 T. good honey
• 2 T. garlic/herb seasoning (I buy mine from Sam’s)
• optional veggies—I often add fresh brussel sprouts (halved, I usually parboil them for a few minutes to release the bitter flavor, then add to stew), parnsips (chunked), sweet potatoes (cut into chunks) cabbage (cut into quarters, if I’m not using brussel sprouts), frozen peas

How I do it:

Start with a package of boneless stew meat.  I usually buy a large package for my large family (I’m guessing 2-3 pounds).  Coat it with Canadian steak seasoning or 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s and salt it well.  Then dredge it in flour. In a very hot dutch oven with a generous amount of oil added (you can also use some bacon fat, which I HIGHLY recommend, along with your more sensible oil), brown the meat on all sides.  Once browned, add 1/2 cup (or so) of red wine (or a bottle, which I’ve been known to use if I’m making a double batch) and then enough beef stock to cover the meat and place the cover on the dutch oven and place it into a 250 degree oven.  Let it cook for 3-4 hours.  Three’s probably enough, but if you leave it for four…that’s okay too. After four hours, take it out of the oven and it will look something like this.  

Then chop the following items into bite sized pieces:  4 carrots, 1 large onion, 4 large red potatoes (don’t use russet: they turn to mush), and  a package of cremini mushrooms (often I go an extra step and hold the mushrooms until the end, at which point I cook them in bacon fat and oil and then add them separately to the stew at the very end.  If I’m not short on time, I add them now).  At this point you can just add all these veggies to the stew or you can go the extra mile and give these a short saute in some olive oil to release some of their natural sugar.  I think the extra step is worth it but I’ve done it both ways based on time.  Generously salt and pepper the veggies and then add more beef stock so that most of the veggies are covered.  Don’t totally submerse them though or there’ll be too much liquid.  Also add a few shakes of red pepper, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, 2 T. of garlic-herb seasoning, and 2 T. of honey.  Put back into the oven at 250 for another 3 hours.

When you take it out of the oven, the veggies should be soft but not mushy.  Now for the part that makes my family think I’m a superhero:  Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 t. sugar, stir and then taste it.  It may need more salt, pepper, honey, whathaveyou.  To finish it, thaw a half bag of frozen peas in the microwave and add those to the stew and then add 2T. of tomato paste.  Put it back into the oven until your ready to serve. You can turn the oven off and just let it bask in the warmth.   Serve with southern cornbread and prepare for lives to be changed.  I forgot to take a picture just as it came out the oven, but here it is after 7 hungry people devoured it!

Enjoy!

Note to parents:  The flour that you use to dredge the meat in is what will thicken your stew so be generous.

Read more at http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2009/02/best-ever-beef-stew/#pUv5Yi78Rq87TibL.99