This whole (pregnancy) nesting thing must be really in full force because all I’ve been doing lately is cooking. I wanted to cook a large meal on Saturday and knew that we’d have a ton of leftovers, so we invited a couple of friends to share the meal with us.
I decided to make Beef Stew, some potatoes, and butternut squash. I have never, in my life, had butternut squash (I don’t think), but I was curious about its taste. For dessert, I made pumpkin bread. Again, this was my first. I’ve never cooked pumpkin anything and only had pumpkin in a store-bought pumpkin pie. So this was the evening of firsts.
Ok, let’s get back to the beef stew. Can I just gloat for a little bit? This was the best beef stew I’ve ever had. Hands down. Not was is incredibly delicious, it was also the easiest dish to make. Seriously, anyone can do it.
The photo I took doesn’t really make it look too appetizing. Trust me, it was. The meat nearly melted in my mouth. I know almost nothing about meat and meat cuts (it’s a sin, I know), but I do remember that I got my meat at Super Target. It was Sutton & Dodge brand and it was Angus beef stew cut. Although a little pricey, there was very little fat on the meat because, admit it, no one wants gristle in their stew.
This was a Paula Deen recipe and would you believe that there was no butter involved? It’s actually a pretty healthy recipe with a little oil and lots of spices.
Old-Time Beef Stew
(cook time 2hrs 15 mins, yield:6 servings)
Ingredients:
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew beef (I used angus stew beef)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions:
Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.
