Best Moms Stew A Family Recipes

MOM'S HEARTY BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering, and place the onion and beef into the hot oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the steak seasoning, stir the meat and onions well, and sprinkle with 1 more teaspoon of seasoning. Add the celery, and cook and stir until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in 2 cups of water to just cover the meat, onion, and celery, bring to a boil, and stir and scrape the browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat and celery pieces from the pan, set the meat aside, and discard the celery.
• In a bowl, whisk together the gravy mix with 4 cups of water. Add the mixture to the juices in the pot, bring to a boil, and stir the meat back into the gravy mixture. Stir in the turnip and carrots, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and simmer an additional 20 minutes.
• To make dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture looks crumbly. Pour in the milk, and lightly stir the mixture just until it combines to form a dough.
• Remove 2 cups of gravy from the pot, and reserve. Drop the dumplings by heaping tablespoon onto the meat and vegetables in the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not peek until the time is up. Pour the reserved gravy back over the dumplings, stir lightly, and serve.

MOM'S CROCK POT BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Spray crock pot insert.
• Layer the first five ingredients in order listed.
• Combine salt and tapioca and sprinkle over top.
• Pour tomato juice over the top.
• Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

MOM'S STEW (A FAMILY RECIPE)

Steps:

• This recipe is very customizable. The current amounts are for a large family and leftovers. Mom's stew freezes very nicely and can be warmed up in the microwave.
• Use a large pot, the kind you would expect to use for soup or stew. I use a 7-quart Lodge-iron Dutch oven. A taller, slimmer pot will take a bit more work to thicken. A wider, lower pot will thicken quickly, but may also burn easier and needs to be watched closely.
• Pour the olive oil into the bottom of the pot. It should be just enough to cover the bottom (approximately 1 TBSP.) Heat the oil on medium.
• Place your meat into the flour and coat each piece completely. Then, place the floured meat into the pot (in the olive oil) to sauté.
• Stir the floured meat to begin browning. Add the onion and keep stirring. Once the meat is brown, and the onions are translucent; add just enough water to cover the meat.
• Once the meat, onion, and flour thicken, turn the heat down to low. Add 2-3 more cups of water so it does not stick.
• At this point, you may want to add some salt, but be careful, you can always add more salt later.
• Add parsley, pepper, and beef cubes. Cook on low until mixture reaches a boil.
• Add one can of tomato soup and one can of water. Stir. Stirring is a very important part of this recipe.
• At this point add your carrots and potatoes. These should be similar in size and thickness so that all vegetables will cook evenly.
• Bring your stew to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
• At this point, you want to check the color of your stew. You are looking for a rich, reddish-brown color. If the color looks "bleak," you may want to add another can of tomato soup.
• Check the balance of your carrots and potatoes. Make sure you have the balance you prefer. For example, My Dad likes a lot of carrots. So, our stew has more carrots than potatoes. However, if you prefer, you can add more potatoes. Remember, the larger your pieces, the longer your stew will need to cook. More importantly, you should always try to keep everything at an even size.
• Continue to stir and simmer until you can easily break a carrot and potato in half with a wooden spoon.
• After the carrots and potatoes are cooked through, add one can of peas WITH the water from the can. Check the balance of the peas, carrots, and potatoes. If you think the stew should have more peas, add a second can but DO NOT add the water from a second can.
• Make a slurry using cornstarch and warm water (1/2 C.). Add your slurry to the stew.
• Continue to stir and simmer on low heat until your stew is thickened and ready.