Skillet Beef Stew

The last time I blogged about making chili, my good friend, Joann commented that my recipe would have sounded good, if she didn't loathe chili. I responded that I thought it'd be possible to make a few changes to the recipe and get a pretty passable beef stew. Well, I finally got around to taking my own advice and giving it a go.

Bald Man Tom's Skillet Beef Stew, Take One

The Players

The Pan	12" cast iron skillet, well seasoned
The Ingredients	1 lb. "stew beef" kosher salt vegetable oil 1 tbsp butter 3 oz onion, finely diced 2 clove garlic, run through the garlic press 4 oz carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces 8 oz red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp sage 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 celery stalk, split 2-1/2 c beef broth, plus 6 tbsp 6 tbsp flour

The Method

Season the meat with a few pinches of kosher salt 5-10 minutes before cooking begins. Keat the skillet over high heat. Coat the skillet thinly with oil, then sear the meat quickly on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium, melt the butter and sautee the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue another minute, or until the onions are soft. Stir in the onions and carrots, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally 5-7 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan with 2-1/2 cups of the broth, the celery and all the spices, mix and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the flour and remaining broth, then add to the pan and give it a good stir. Cover the pan with foil, then place in a 350 degree oven for 75 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes

I would have added more carrots, if I'd had them. The 4 oz listed was all I had. If you're interested in trying this with other veggies, add your root-type veggies with the carrots and potatoes, and things like beans and peas about 15-30 minutes before cooking is complete.

The Verdict

Not too bad, not too good. Amy didn't care for it much at all, there was something about the flavor that she found off-putting. I think it was probably the sage. I didn't find it overpowering, but I think her tastebuds are a little more sensitive than mine. For myself, I thought there was something missing, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm thinking that sage isn't the right herb for this job, but I'm not sure what I'd use with beef. I'll have to do some reading. Or, if any of you out there in interwebland have any ideas, I'm open to suggestion

Lessons Learned

Lessee:

• Beef broth just doesn't have a lot of taste. I've tried several different brands and styles, nothing really works for me. Maybe that's why I felt something was lacking. I might also consider a combo of broth and tomato juice.
• I think the 6 tbsp flour was too much. I'll cut that in half next time, but I'm worried that it'll be too thin.
• The beef didn't get nearly as tender as I'd expected. I'm going to blame the "beef for stewing" package I got from my local megamart. Next time I'll buy a hunk of chuck and break it down myself.
• I need more practice...