Good Old-Fashioned Beef Stew 

 Not many meals warms the tummy and comforts the body better then a big bowl of beef stew. This is another one of those recipes I remember from my childhood. My mother would make it quite often when the days grew cold and the wind came out of the north.

She could have easily opened a can of beef stew and set it on the stove to heat, but money was tight.  Of course, money is still tight in my household. We try to make satisfying meals that are healthy, easy to prepare and will save money.

You can make this stew in a number of ways.  You can use the vegetables in the ingredient list, or you can leave some of them out or replace them with the vegetables you like best.

Most of the time, we omit the bacon. And, if you are on a really tight budget, leave the bacon out. It is mostly added in this recipe for the flavor. 

Ingredients

3 slices bacon (Optional)
2 lbs. beef stew meat * see note below
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced (I generally use the entire garlic head. We love garlic!)
2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 tsp. bouillon granules
6 c. boiling water
2 Tbs. Tomato paste
6 potatoes, cut into cubes
2 carrots, cut into rings or smaller pieces
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small can sliced button mushrooms, drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed and drained / Or 1 can peas, drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

Place bacon strips in a cast iron Dutch oven. Fry them over medium heat until they are browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside for later. Drain away all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from the pan.

Brown the beef stew meat, onions and garlic in the reserved bacon grease. Fry the meat until it is browned on the outside.

Dissolve the bouillon cubes or granules in boiling water. Carefully pour this into the Dutch Oven. 

Add tomato paste, potatoes, carrots, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and bay leaf.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer for approximately one hour, or until meat is tender.

In a small cup or bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Slowly pour this into the stew, stirring constantly. When the liquid has thickened, add the peas, and mushrooms. Cook until heated through.

Taste the broth to see if it needs more salt or pepper.  Serve.

Tips and Extras

* Instead of buying already cut up beef stew meat, I buy a roast.  I remove most of the fat and then cut the meat into 1 inch cubes. This tip will save you some money because beef stew meat is expensive, and you don't get as much for the price you pay.

* Substitute one cup of water with 1 cup of red wine.  Make sure to choose a wine that you like to drink. Don't use cooking wine, because there is too much salt in it.  

* If you want a little kick to your beef stew, add a hot pepper. I usually chop 1 to 2 hot peppers, depending on the variety, and add it with my onions.  I leave the seeds in, but if you want less heat, remove the seeds and discard them.

*If you want a thinner broth, add more liquid, or use less cornstarch.  For a thicker broth, add more cornstarch.