I love Beef Stew

It's cold here; well below 0 degrees F.  Hearty beef stew is just perfect after a day outside in the weather.   In fact, I can make a meal of it.  Sometimes I add potatoes to the stew and sometimes I leave them out, depending on what I have on hand.  I happened to have some mashed potatoes and some mushrooms in the fridge so I added the mushrooms and left out the chopped potatoes.  Served over the potatoes this stew is a meal by itself.  If you happen to have some crusty country bread on hand, so much the better.  I sometimes make an extra batch of stew; it's great to have in the freezer on a busy day.  I might even add frozen peas toward the end of the cooking time.  They add a pretty green accent (I must admit I forgot them this time). 

Hearty Beef Stew

 2 lbs. of stew meat (I used top round), chopped

2 Tablespoons of oil

32 ounces of beef broth (or you can substitute water)

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

2 potatoes, chopped

1 cup of petite green peas (optional)

1 lb. of mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 teaspoons of kosher salt

2 teaspoon of black pepper

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon of allspice

1/4 cup of cornstarch
1//2 cup of water

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or pot.  Add the meat in batches and brown (do not crowd or your meat will steam).  With a slotted spoon, remove meat to a platter and add the onions to the pot, adding a bit more oil if necessary.  Sweat the onions over medium heat until they are translucent.  Add the garlic clove, paprika, allspice, and bay leaf., stir and cook for 1 minute.  Return the meat to the pot and add the salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cover all ingredients with the broth or water, adding more water if needed to cover all.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat down.  Let simmer for 2 hours. 
Remove the bay leaf and whole garlic clove from the pot.  Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer for 45 minutes longer, or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally.  Make sure you add water as needed to the pot as it is simmering.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1/2 cup of water.  Set aside.  Remove 3 cups of broth from the pot and stir the cornstarch slurry into the broth.  Add the broth back into the pot and stir well.  Bring the stew to a boil and cook for several minutes to cook the cornstarch and thicken the stew.

This freezes well. 

The bald eagles are migrating home.  We saw our first pair a few weeks ago and three pairs this week.   It's hard to get close enough to take a photo, even with telephoto. 

Linked to Hearth 'n Soul.