Good Stew Recipe Please

I have a recipe that I like but I'd like to try something different.

Re: Good Stew Recipe Please

1 package of beef cubes about 2 lbs or so
a couple of tablespoons of flour
onion-1 medium or u can use a red onion for sweetness- chopped
celery- this depends on how much you like
beef broth- 2 cans
1/2 can tomato paste ( the small skinny ones)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
sliced fresh mushroooms
3 potatoes- sliced and peeled
carrots about 5 peeled and sliced
thyme
salt and pepper

in a very large stockpot or soup pot heat olive oil on medium low.
let oil heat up. once heated add onion.
place flour in a zip loc type of storage baggie-. a little at a time place a few of the beef cubes in the bag and shake with the flour. Add as you go to to the stock pot. remove meat with slotted spoon leaving the juice from onions and meat in the pot. place meat on plate. Once meat is out add the tomato paste and wine, stirring it with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the juice from bottom of pot. let simmer for a few minutes. add meat back to the pot and rest of ingredients. simmer on medium low stirring occasionally and let cook all day, at leat 3 hours.
** depending on how full your pot is and how much veggies you use, you might need to add a little water for all your veggies to cook.. if the veggies and meat are covered just to the top ini liquid then you are good. if not, add a little water.
To make gravy take all meat and veggies out once all is cooked. add cornstarch to water ( i do it by eye, but the directions are on the cornstarch box) and then put in the pot with gravy stirring for a few minutes until it thickens..
I serve this with buttered noodles sometimes but since it already has potatoes sometimes i just serve wtih a salad. My family LOVES this esp on a rainy cold fall/ winter day!

Message edited 10/3/2009 10:42:42 AM.