Old Fashioned Beef Stew

This is a recipe out of one of the very first cook books I received, the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, 11th edition.  I haven’t made a whole lot from this book, but I like that it has a lot of cooking tips and pointers throughout the book.  This is a very tasty stew, and even though it’s a little warm out for stew now, I still wanted to make it.  I did it on the stove top, which is very time-consuming, but you can do it in the slow cooker as well.  I just forgot to get it in the slow cooker this morning!

Old Fashioned Beef Stew
Original recipe here

What you need:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups cubed potato (about 3 medium)
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup sliced carrot (2 medium)

How to make it:

Place flour in a plastic bag. Add meat cubes, shaking to coat. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil.  Add meat and brown; drain fat. Stir in beef broth, water, onion, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cube, oregano, marjoram, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is nearly tender.

Stir in potato, green beans, corn, and carrot. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

Makes 5 servings (about 7 cups).

Slow Cooker directions:

Prepare and brown meat as above. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, layer meat, onion, potatoes, green beans, corn, and carrot. Decrease beef broth to 2 cups. Combine beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cube, oregano, marjoram, pepper, and bay leaf. Pour over meat and vegetables in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Tags: beef, carrot, corn, green beans, onion