Cassie’s Ruminations

Beef Stew

This is very similar to my crockpot version of beef stew, but done on the stove top in about an hour. The only real change to the ingredients is adding more beef broth since it doesn’t have all day to sit in a crockpot and release juices.

Beef Stew
Makes 4-6 hearty servings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Emeril’s Essence, or other seasoning mix of your choice
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed
6 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
2 large carrots, cut into rounds
½ cup frozen green peas

Mix the flour, salt, Essence, and pepper in a large storage bag. Shake the beef in the bag, coating each piece completely. Set a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil to the pan and sear the beef in 2 batches, adding the second tablespoon of vegetable oil after removing the first batch until nicely browned. Add the extra flour from the bag to the pan with the oil and make a roux. Deglaze the pan with the beef broth and brandy, scraping up any stuck brown bits from the pan. Put the beef back into the pot and add the spices and herbs and tomato paste to the broth and stir to combine. Bring the mixture up to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the vegetables, except for the peas, to the pot and stir.. Let cook at a low boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the peas to the stew and stir. Let simmer for another 10 minutes or until the peas are hot.

Serve with crusty bread.