Recipe Week: My Mom Calls it Stew

And all of us kids called for it more often. This was cooked on camping trips when the weather was cooler or when no one wanted to use the barbecue. Heresy, I know!

Ingredients

• The largest pot or Dutch Oven you have 
• 2-3 lbs Chuck Roast trimmed of fat. Save the fat!
• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt*
• Black Pepper* 
• Vegetable oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pot
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced big
• 2 12oz bottles of dark beer. (12 oz of red wine can be substituted)
• 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 medium carrots
• 4 medium celery stalks
• 2 cups beef broth or 4 cups if beer or wine is not allowed
• 2 Bay leaves

All measurements are my own guesses; Mom cooks by eye.

Instructions

1. Cut meat into 1 inch cubes. 
2. Add salt* and pepper* to the flour. 
3. Place the meat in the flour mixture and toss to coat.
4. Heat the oil.
5. Add the trimmed fat and then enough floured cubes to cover the bottom of the pot. 
6. Cook and turn the meat until brown on all sides. 
7. Repeat for all meat, then set the meat aside.
8. Add the onion to the pot and season with salt* and pepper*. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown. Cook until the raw onion smell has cooked off.
9. Pour in the wine or 1 bottle of beer.
10. Add any leftover flour, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until the mixture has thickened.
11. Put the meat and any juices in the bowl into the pot. 
12. Add the broth, second beer, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add water if necessary to barely cover everything.
13. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour.
14. Cut the carrots, celery, and potatoes into large pieces and add them to the pot.
15. Stir to combine, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables and meat are knife tender (about an hour). 

Depending on the guests (and the amount of corn bread available), this serves 4-8. If more people are there, just do what my mom does: add more potatoes, carrots and celery, and go on cooking.

I try to be like that. Deal with it and do what's necessary



* Salt, pepper, Tapatio and any other spices can be added to suit your taste.