Ingredients
- 2-pound chuck roast, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
- 1/2 About 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening, bacon fat, vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots, scraped and cut into chunks
- 1 stalk (rib) of celery, sliced thick
- 1 cup of sliced sweet or yellow onion
- 2 cups of water
- 4 cups of beef broth or stock
- 1 tablespoon of beef base, (like Better than Bouillon), optional
- 2 teaspoons of Kitchen Bouquet, optional
- Hot, cooked rice, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the roast into 1 inch pieces. Combine the flour with the next 7 seasoning ingredients in a zipper bag, shake well to combine; add the beef, shaking to coat. Reserve the seasoned flour. Heat about half the oil over medium in a deep skillet or large pot and brown the beef in batches, adding more oil as needed.
While the meat is browning, prepare the vegetables and add all of them to the slow cooker, except for the sliced onion. Transfer the browned meat on top of the vegetables. Stir in the reserved flour a little at a time and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the water, then the beef broth, adding in the beef base and Kitchen Bouquet, if using; bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly for about a minute until mixture is thickened. Scatter the sliced onion on top of the meat and carefully transfer the gravy over the onion. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or high for 3 to 4, or until beef is fork tender and vegetables are cooked through.
We like to serve this over hot, cooked rice with fresh, hot biscuits, cornbread or rolls on the side.
Cook's Notes: May also simmer on the stovetop. Low simmer the meat and seasonings, uncovered, for about 2 hours, then add the vegetables and cook another 30 minutes, or until tender. Packages of stew meat are not only sold at a premium price, but they also contain odds and ends trimmings off of many different varieties of meats, some of which are not braise friendly. Watch for full sized roasts on sale, stock up and freeze to use for your stews. Brown the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding and steaming the meat, making it gummy. The gravy will thicken when refrigerated, so when reheating leftovers, stir in some beef broth to help loosen it.