Beef Stew

Our best friend, Shea, bought me a brand new cookbook last week! Step by Step Cook's Encyclopedia: 110 Easy-To-Follow Recipes, and I was SO EXCITED to start trying recipes! The pictures are amazing and walk through each step, which I have found super helpful! I can't wait to try more from here.

This is probably one of the longest, non-slow cooker recipe I've ever made. But, in the end, I thought it was worth it! The flavors were great, the beef and potatoes cooked perfectly, and even though it took a lot of time it was relatively easy to make.

Beef Stew-adapted from Step-by-Step Cook's Encyclopdia
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Serves 4

• 3 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups beef stock
• 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into large chunks
• Salt and pepper

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large stock pot over high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes, until beef is well browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in four and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Beat in one cup of the stock and cook, scraping up all the sediment from the bottom of the pan. Stirring the remaining stock and add the carrots, celery, ketchup, bay leaf, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Return the beef to the pot.

Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Add the potatoes, replace the lid and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for an additional 30 minutes, or until meat and potatoes are tender.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin