Brian in the Kitchen Recipes
BRIAN IN THE KITCHEN brought to you by Stittsworth Meats
October 18 2017
Homemade Beef Stew
4 tablespoons cooking oil or bacon drippings, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
2 pound chuck roast, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 rib chopped celery
2 toes of garlic, minced
2 (32 ounce) cartons of beef stock or broth
4 cups of water
1 tablespoon of Better than Bouillon beef base, optional
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
2 bay leaves
4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Hot, steamed rice
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot. Cut the meat into chunks about 1-inch in size and pat dry well with paper towels. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss the beef in batches, lightly coating with the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour, add to pot in batches and brown. Remove the meat and set aside; continue cooking the beef in batches until all of it is browned, adding more oil as needed.
Add sliced onion to the pot drippings and cook until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add a few tablespoons of the beef stock to the pot to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Add remaining beef broth, water and beef base; bring to a boil. Return the seared beef to the pot, add thyme, rosemary, celery seed, basil, paprika and Cajun seasoning. Reduce to a low simmer, add bay leaves and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours; do not allow to boil.
Add the carrots and potatoes, bring back up to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook an additional 15 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings as needed. In a 2 cup measure, whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup of milk until blended. Slowly add to stew, stirring until blended. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are completely fork tender and stew has thickened. Serve over hot rice with hot buttered biscuits, cornbread or homemade yeast rolls.