Grandma's Stew

This is perhaps the easiest homestyle comfort food recipe you will ever make.  It really couldn't be easier, and the result is so comforting and perfect for a crisp fall or cold winter day.  I love this time of year when we can start transitioning into all the fall food we had to abandon in the heat of the summer!  Last night I made this very simple stew, based on my grandmother's recipe.  We took the dogs on a walk while it was cooking and came home to a great smelling very homey home!  It made me nostalgic for those cold Minnesota winters when I'd get home from after-school activities and the house would be warm and cozy with the great smell of dinner cooking.

Ingredients:
-  1lb stew meet (either buy it pre-cut or buy a brisket and cut it yourself)
- About 6 large carrots
- About 2lbs potatos (you can use less, I live with an Irishman and so have to add more potatos to every recipe!)
- Medium yellow onion, cut into bite-sized chunks
- Oil
- Flour
- Salt & Pepper
- Beef boulion
- Bisquick
- Milk

Take the stew meat out of its package and make sure the pieces are about the same size.  Cut them down if needed.  I usually like my pieces to be between one- and two-inch cubes. 

Start heating about 3T vegetable/canola oil in the pan.  I like to use a heavy cast iron enamel pot for stew.  You can get the oil very hot at the beginning to sear your meat, and then reduce the flame to the lowest possible level and the pot will retain that heat and evenly cook the stew.  When the stew is done, you can leave the pot on the stove and it will retain its heat so that your second and third helpings are still hot!

Season generously with salt and pepper, and then toss in flour to coat.  You can save the left-over flour from this step to make your tickening agent for the gravy.

Add the meat to the hot oil, just searing on each side.  Do not cook the meat through at this point.  As soon as the meat is seared on each side, add enough water to almost cover the meat.

Once the water starts to bubble, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and let simmer ever so gently.  My recipe says to let simmer for 3 hours, but I rarely have this kind of time.  Try to let it cook at least one hour.  The longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be.

When the meat is cooked and tender, add the vegetables.  You will need to add more water at this point.  You want the water to almost cover everything. 

At this point you are also going to add a flour/water thickening paste and your beef boulion to complete the gravy.  Mix water into your left-over flour from the first step to create a paste.  Add this to your stew pot.  You can start with a small amount and keep adding until it is thick enough.  Remember that the gravy will thicken quite a bit when it cools.  I usually add about a quarter cup of flour (mixed with about a half cup water) at this point. 

Next add your beef boulion.  I use the kind that comes in individual packets, and two packets is usually sufficient. 

Taste your gravy and season if necessary. 

Cover and let cook at a gentle simmer until your vegetables are nearly cooked through (probably 30 minutes). 

Mix together bisquick and milk according to the directions on the box for dumplings (I think it is 2 cups bisquick and 2/3 cup milk).  Drop the dumplings into the stew.

Cook uncovered 10 minutes and then covered 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!