This is one of those recipes that was handed down from my grandmother to my mother. But I really learned how do it better from a woman whose children I used to babysit.
I know most bloggers post much fancier type foods, more ethnic cuisines, or fusion, or Julia Child French recipes.
But mine is more cottagecore, basic, comforting, easy to do, and traditional.
Beef Stew
1 pound stew meat
1 tablespoon shortening
kitchen bouquet
1/4 cup flour
garlic powder, salt, pepper
2 cups water
1 beef bouillon cube
1-2 whole bay leaves
1 onion, quartered
4-6 peeled potatoes, cut up and quartered
6-10 carrots, peeled and cut up
1/2 cup cold water
Melt shortening in Dutch oven, and add Kitchen bouquet. Mix flour with garlic, salt and pepper and coat raw stew beef. (Store leftover flour in refrigerator until time to make gravy). Saute meat in shortening until browned. Add 2 cups of water, the bouillon cube and bay leaves, and simmer for 2-3 hours. Add 2 cups more water and the onion, potatoes, and carrots and cook on medium for about an hour, until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from the Dutch oven to make gravy. Mix 1/2 cup cold water with leftover flour mixture with a whisk until smooth. Gradually add hot broth to flour/water mixture, stirring in between additions. Slowly pour back into rest of broth in Dutch oven and stir and cook until thick and bubbly. Carefully return vegetables to Dutch oven and heat through. Serve with tossed salad and homemade biscuits and ice-cold milk.
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