Old Time Beef Stew!

The day was perfect for a big pot of beef stew, so out came the dutch oven, stew meat and veggies! It is a bit crazy I suppose that I love to cook soups and stews on my old woodburning stove, but there is just something about it that makes things taste a bit better. Whenever I cook on this stove, the aroma fills the entire house and even wafts out into the yard. I have had people tell me that they know I am cooking on the old stove even before they enter the house. It just makes things good. I believe it has to do with the idea of slow cooking. In this day of "hurry..hurry", a good slow home-cooked meal can be so soothing..comfort food! A microwave is great for warming things but sorry, as for cooking..no way! Also..prepared packaged foods..again..no way! Give me some good meat or seafood and a few fresh vegetables and I am in a dream world! I will admit that all the washing and chopping of the vegetables was done in the kitchen. Just the cooking was done on the old stove. Also, it takes a while as the heat is not consistent, but if you think of the stove as a huge slow-cooker or crockpot then there is not a problem! My husband and brother were out in the yard and came bustling in to check the bubbling pot of scrumptiousness! Men and beef stew seem to go together! The men in this family can demolish an entire dutch oven of stew in one sitting! Throw in some Cajun cornbread and they will love you forever!

Old Time Beef Stew

2 pounds stew meat

3 tablespoons oil

3 cups water (1 cup to be reserved to mix with the cornstarch later)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 large onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup broccoli tops (chunked)

1 cup broccoli stems (chopped, discarding tough ends)

2 cups carrots (chopped)

2 ribs celery (chopped)

2 cans mushroom slices (4 ounce cans)

In a large dutch oven, brown the stew meat in the oil. Sear it well on both sides. Pour in two cups water and add the onion, garlic, Worcestershire Sauce, black pepper, salt and allspice. Let this simmer for about 1 to 2 hours . Add the broccoli stems, potatoes, carrots and celery. Again let simmer..this time for about 30 minutes. Add the broccoli tops and mushrooms. In a small bowl place the remaining cup of water and add the cornstarch. Stir well. Scoop out about a cup of the liquid in the pot and add to the water/cornstarch mixture. Mix this until thoroughly blended. Pour back into the pot, stir well and cook until thick and bubbly!

This is a quite hardy stew and will feed about six people unless you have big eaters like the men in this family! If so..ladle out yours first!..or you might not get any!!!