Beef Stew

By cu6t4ie

Ingredients

• 4 lbs.beef,cut into 1 in. cubes
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 large onions
• 1/2 lb. large carrots,cut into medium dice
• 2 to 3 lbs. potatoes,in 1 in.cubes
• 1 stalk celery,cut into medium dice
• 4 large garlic cloves,minced
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• few sprigs fresh thyme and parsley,chopped
• cracked black pepper,to taste
• 2 to 3 tbs. flour
• 1/4 tsp.each onion and garlic powder
• 1 qt.beef stock
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup red wine

Details

Adapted from cooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

Sprinkle the beef cubes lightly salt and pepper.Dredge in flour.
In a large Dutch oven,brown five minutes in olive oil(add a tbs. of butter for better browning if you like)then add the sliced onions and continue to cook over medium high heat until the cubes are browned;add the the garlic durning the last few minutes of browning,not allowing them to burn.
If using wine,add the wine to deglaze the bottom of pot,otherwise simply cover the beef cubes with water.Add seasonings and celery.
Cover,reduce heat until stew is barely simmering,but just steaming hot.Do not boil.
When beef is nearly but not quite as tender as you like it,add the carrots and potatoes and continue to cook for another 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the beef broth and ketchup 30 minutes before serving.If you prefer the stock to be thickned,add a few tbs. of flour to the beef broth and stir until smooth before adding to the stew.
A few minutes before serving,taste and adjust seasonings,adding salt,pepper,beef bouillon or soup base,onion and garlic powder,a pinch of cayenne pepper,another pinch of thyme,etc.to perk up the flavor if you think it's needed.Don't overdo the seasonings!