Maggie’s Beef Stew Recipe

You do not need a mineral oil burning cast iron stove to make this dish. Nor do you need a cast iron Dutch oven. Maggie does do most of the initial work in heavy skillets. Regrettably, Maggie does not measure when she cooks.

Maggie starts with the least expensive solid cut of beef or lamb that she can find. The solid roasts are typically cheaper than the pre-cut or prepared beef stew meat. She cuts the meat into cubes that measure about 1” square.

Ingredients

Beef roast, lamb, or mutton

1/4—1/3 pound per guest

Potatoes

1/4 pound per guest

Flour

2 to 4 cups depending on volume of meat

Onions

several large sweet

Garlic

More than you think, because it is good and good for you.

Vegetables

Whatever is around and looking limp

Caraway Seeds

Whole— maybe 1/4 cup or so

Seasonings

Coarse ground salt, pepper and others

Cooking Oil

Grapeseed or coconut are fun

Directions

1. In Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic in oil over a low heat
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover the 1” cubed meat in the flour mixture.
3. In one skillet, put a small amount of oil into a hot skills (medium-high)
4. Dump some of the caraway seeds in. Toast them. Nutty flavor will fill the galley.
5. Add floured meat. Brown on all sides. Put browned meat in the Dutch oven with onions, garlic and oil.
6. Repeat the activities in the skillet: toast caraway seeds, brown meat, add to Dutch oven. Keep the balance between caraway, flour, salt, pepper, and meat. When complete, scrape all possible nuggets from the skillet to the Dutch oven.
7. Cut potatoes into large pieces. 1” square is too small, but a goodly size that will sit proudly on a fork is good.
8. Cut other veggies as needed: Carrots, and celery are common. These veggies have better flavor if slightly older and a bit limp.
9. Add all vegetables to the Dutch oven.
10. Add enough water or stock to cover about 90% of the potatoes.
11. Stew over a low heat for at least two hours. Stir regularly. Keep the flour off of the bottom. Let the potatoes get rounded edges. The stew will thicken naturally using the flour and the loose bits of potatoes.
12. Taste before presenting. Add more salt, pepper and other spices as needed. Maggie often adds about 1/4 cup or so of tomato paste five minutes before serving. The touch of tomato brings a fuller flavor. The acidity brings freshness to the tastes as well. Don’t over do the tomato. One shouldn’t be able to see it, or even really taste it. Once or twice when the schooner bounced while Maggie added tomato to her stew, she has had to correct with cinnamon.
13. Serve with fresh hot bread. Allow your guest to eat the meal with a fork.

How to judge a skillet's temperature without a dial:

Low Heat

Butter melts but doesn't brown quickly

Medium Heat

Butter browns quickly but doesn’t burn.

Flour will sizzle in oil, but not burn (instantly, that is)

High Heat

Oil will swirl and smokes readily,

Flour burns when dusted in.

About Coarse Ground Spices

The Original Milwaukee Spice House has an outstanding selection. A favorite is the “Butcher’s Rub Seasoning Box.”