Thursdays are for cooking….

Betty Crocker’s Classic Beef Stew from 1970

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening

1 lb boneless beef chuck, tip or round roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 cups water

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (use frozen sliced carrots to save time)

1 large unpeeled potato, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (baby reds are good, too)

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (this can be left out, if you don’t like cooked peppers – add more celery, instead)

1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 cup cold water

2 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

How to fix this dish:

• 1 – In 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef; cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides. (I’d use the Dutch oven, not the skillet. If you go the slow cooker route, brown the meat in the skillet first.)
• 2 – Add water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes or until beef is almost tender.
• 3 – Stir in remaining ingredients except cold water and flour. Cover; cook about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.
• 4 – In tightly covered jar or container, shake cold water and flour; gradually stir into beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute until thickened.

You can add a cup of red wine to this, as well. And beef broth instead of just water adds flavor to it, too.

If you want the slow cooker version of this, the cooking time is 9 to 10 hours on LOW.

Chuck, tip, or round beef roast are all good choices for a long simmer. The ratio of marbled fat and collagen in the meat keep it moist and tender during a long braise.

A classic flour and water slurry is a good way to thicken a stew. Be sure to bring the stew to a rolling boil and cook for about 1 minute, or just until thickened. If you cook it too long the flour will break down and the thickening will be lost.

Infuse some herbal or citrus notes to the dark richness of the stew by adding a generous handful of chopped fresh parsley or oregano or sprinkling on some grated lemon or orange zest just before serving. Mrs. Dash Lemon/Pepper seasoning is also a good choice.

To save time, use a 1-pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables plus frozen diced potatoes, instead of the carrots, potato, bell pepper, celery and onion. There’s no need to thaw the vegetables; just stir them into the beef mixture in step 4.

 

 

Category: Economy