This is the stew I grew up on. It is GREAT comfort food.
- Carbohydrate 27.8302415642499 g
- Cholesterol 76.753 mg
- Fat 23.127044375088 g
- Fiber 3.93529066275085 g
- Protein 24.6966134377957 g
- Saturated Fat 9.23850137502646 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (444g)
- Sodium 120.196125001188 mg
- Sugar 23.894950901499 g
- Trans Fat 2.70817862500378 g
- Calories 420 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix flour, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and coat meat.
- Brown meat with shortening
- Add water and heat to boiling.
- Add bay leaf and beef bouillon cubes
- Add potatoes, carrots, celery and onion
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours
- Thicken with flour and cold water
Flour-dredged beef cubes require generous surface contact with the pan to form a proper crust through the Maillard reaction. Crowding the Dutch oven forces the meat to steam instead of sear, which ruins the foundation of the sauce. When scaling this eight-serving yield down by half, reduce the cooking vessel diameter from twelve inches to eight inches to maintain proper liquid-to-surface ratios. Doubling the batch demands careful pot selection, requiring at least a seven-quart capacity to prevent boil-overs during the two-hour simmer. Fresh root vegetables release significant internal moisture as they cook, softening cellular walls and thickening the surrounding broth naturally. Substituting dehydrated or canned aromatics alters this hydration balance, often yielding a thinner liquid that demands an adjusted flour-and-water slurry at the finish. Raw onions contain sulfur compounds that mellow significantly over one hundred twenty minutes of low heat, whereas powdered alternatives lack complex flavor development. Store leftovers in airtight glass containers for up to four days at four degrees Celsius or lower, reheating gently to avoid breaking the starch suspension.
