Famous French Oven Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 medium onions cut in eighths
3 stalks celery, cut in 1" pieces
4 carrots, peeled, cut in 1" pieces
1 11-1/2 oz. can tomato juice
1/2 cup sherry or water
1/8 cup quick cooking tapioca
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarter inch chunks
1/2 lb. green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

Preparation

Step 1

In a large dutch oven or casserole with a tight fitting lid, combine beef, onions, celery and carrots and set aside. Do not brown the beef.

In a medium bowl, stir together the juice, sherry, tapioca, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil and pour over meat mixture. Cover and bake in preheated 300° oven for 2 1/2 hours, stirring thoroughly ever half hour. Mixture will look lumpy for at least the first hour, but that's normal.

Add potatoes and continue cooking for 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook another 30 minutes or until beans and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with bread, rice or noodles.