I love making stew- you can be so creative! I never follow a recipe- just put in whatever I have -never have to worry if I have the right ingredients etc. I always use different spices, herbs each time.It always tastes better the next day too, and the day after that and even better the 4th day... :D

ew! I HATE stew. I hate when my mom makes stew, it smells up the WHOLE house, which I guess is part of the reason why I moved out...

wait that sounds wrong. my mom is a great cook, I just *HATE* stew.

ew! I HATE stew. I hate when my mom makes stew, it smells up the WHOLE house, which I guess is part of the reason why I moved out...

wait that sounds wrong. my mom is a great cook, I just *HATE* stew.I'm with Whiskey on that one...stew is gross, but then again, that's just me. I know my dad LOVES stew....Ohhhhh, Whiskey, more reasons our rents should marry! Hehe, but Whiskey, you're right, mom is an amazing cook! :D

I'm with Whiskey on that one...stew is gross, but then again, that's just me. I know my dad LOVES stew....Ohhhhh, Whiskey, more reasons our rents should marry! Hehe, but Whiskey, you're right, mom is an amazing cook! :D
See they should get married!! We just have to work on your parents getting divorced. Get on that pronto.
Your dad would buy my mom Tiffany's, right? Because if he doesn't, then I'm sorry, I must object to their marriage!

I love it!!

Sorry for those who don't like it. I never liked my mothers, oh... it was horrible. Had to have someone else cook me a stew before I realized how wonderful it can me.

Gotta have the good basic starting ingredients, stewing beef, carrots, spuds. After that.... add anything you want!!!

Hmmmm.... mom and I were wondering what to have for dinner the rest of the week... maybe I will make her a stew!! Then she will finally have one that is magnificant!!

JJT

See they should get married!! We just have to work on your parents getting divorced. Get on that pronto.
Your dad would buy my mom Tiffany's, right? Because if he doesn't, then I'm sorry, I must object to their marriage!

Honey, my dad buys ME Tiffany's...course he'd buy your mom Tiffany's. He is for Christmas anyways (or we both are rather...) Kk, I'll work on my rents then we'll get your mom and my dad....Yo, then our kids could NEVER even CONSIDER dating! I mean, it's one thing to say we're sisters and act like it, and be them, but it's another to actually be legally bound as sisters...

ok, we need to stop polluting threads with our nonsense! lol

JJT- But even if you are out of beef you can use stock and with all the other flavors you don't even really notice what's missing! Carrots and potatoes are essential however.

see, it's the carrots I don't like, they get mushy :(

Do you ever watch America's Test Kitchen? It is a PBS cooking show. I watched them do a stew. It looked easy enough.

**going to americastestkitchen.com to see if i can scam their recipe w/o having to pay to join site**

Update

Nope. Gotta pay to get the recipe. I will just wait until it is on TV again and tape it! So there................... :blah:

see, it's the carrots I don't like, they get mushy :(
Oh, yes. Mother used to cook the living daylights out of the stew. If the veggies are soft and mushy...... it's cooked wrong.

Oh, yes. Mother used to cook the living daylights out of the stew. If the veggies are soft and mushy...... it's cooked wrong.
see that's good to know! I hate soggy carrots ... If you find a really good recipe, can you pass it along? maybe I'll give it to my mom and see if she can do it :) Or I could always try myself, lol ...

Here is one that sounds about right. I don't use turnips. And I add frozen peas just a minute before serving.

2 lbs. lean beef from round, or 2 1/2 lbs. if there is a bone (or buy stew beef already cut up from butcher section in the grocery store)
1 qt. of water
2 cups potatoes cut in 1/4 inch slices
Turnip, Carrot} 1/2 cup each cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 small onion cut in thin slices
3 tablespoons Gold Medal flour
Salt and pepper

Wipe meat with wet cloth, separate meat, bone and fat; try out some of the fat in frying pan, cut meat into 1 1/2 inch cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with Gold Medal flour.

Sear the meat in the hot fat, stirring constantly. When all surfaces are well browned put in the kettle; cover and let boil up once, skim and then simmer for two and one-half hours.

Add carrot, turnip and onion the last hour of cooking.

Parboil the potatoes and add to stew fifteen minutes before taking from the fire.

Remove bone, large pieces of fat, and skim; thicken with 3 tablespoons of Gold Medal flour diluted with enough cold water to pour easily.

Let the stew come to a boil again and cook ten minutes.

2 lbs stew meat (no need to brown)
1 (10.75 ounces) can condensed tomato soup
1 (10.75 ounces) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 cup red wine (http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?recipe=28956&id=184)

1. Put all in oven proof casserole.
2. Cover and cook 2 hours at 350 degrees F.
3. Add vegetables of choice and cook 1 hour more.
4. (I add baby carrots, quartered potatoes, onions& 1/2 bag frozen peas).

Crock Pot Stew

Cottage Stew


1 1/2 pounds lean beef -- cut in " cubes
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 celery ribs -- cut in chunks
1 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Brown meat in butter and oil. Combine meat and remaining ingredients, except lemon juice and parsley, and place in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and serve with toast, noodles or potatoes.
Crockpot beef stew recipe serves 4.

More Beef Stew Recipes:
Beef and Beer Stew - Stovetop (http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec00/bl01025k.htm)
Beef and Beer Stew - Oven (http://southernfood.about.com/library/news/bln226.htm)
Beef and Beer Stew - Crockpot (http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec98/bl80215g.htm)
Beef Stew Ness (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl115_2.htm)
Beef Stew with Beer (http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec02/bl20910e.htm)
Beef Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl90_6.htm)
Golden Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl122_14.htm)
Favorite Beef Stew Recipe (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl99_7.htm)
Snowy Day Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl77_3.htm)
Tangy Beef Stew Recipe (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl75_13.htm)
Old-Time Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl75_10.htm)
Herbed Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl117_4.htm)
Old-Fashioned Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec00/bl01025h.htm)
Crockpot Beef Stew with Beer (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl104_17.htm)
Busy Day Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl76_7.htm)
Fabulous Beef Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl75_9.htm)
Beef and Mushroom Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl110_1.htm)
Beef and Potato Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl101_1.htm)
Beef and Black Bean Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl87_3.htm)
Beef and Chile Stew (http://southernfood.about.com/library/cprec/bl73_3.htm)

Thanks!!!!!! I will pass these on to my mother.

Unusual stew recipes from the Smithsonian- "Recipes from Another Time "(wonder who they would appeal to now?)
Alligator Pilau
After 20 years of protection, the alligator has made a remarkable comeback and alligator meat is available again. Since the body meat is too tough, only the tail meat is used. The best way to prepare alligator tail is to slice the meat across the grain into 1/4- to ½-inch strips. While good lightly breaded and fried, try this dish that includes the datil pepper, which gives it some heat.

2lb. alligator tail, sliced or cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock
½ fresh datil pepper or 1 tsp pepper sauce
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Saute alligator meat in a small amount of olive oil until tender, and set aside. In a Dutch oven, cook onions, bell pepper and garlic in remaining oil until soft. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, datil pepper or sauce and seasonings and simmer over low heat for five minutes. Add chicken stock and well-rinsed rice and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the alligator meat, stir well, taste and adjust seasonings. Simmer an additional five minutes to combine flavors.



Gopher Tortoise Stew(What is a gopher tortoise???)
Also known as the "Hoover chicken," the gopher tortoise was a staple in the diets of Minorcans, Florida natives, and Depression-era families. The exact composition of Gopher Tortoise Stew depended on what ingredients were available at the time, but this is a typical recipe. Today, the gopher tortoise is a protected species, but you can substitute alligator or pork.

Cut meat into 2-inch pieces and simmer in salted water until tender. In a large Dutch oven, fry some salt pork until crisp and the fat is rendered. Add meat and brown. Add a generous amount of chopped onion, some chopped bell pepper, minced garlic, diced tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.

Then add the water the meat was cooked in, some diced potatoes, a few bay leaves, salt and black pepper to taste, and a fresh datil pepper or a dash of datil pepper sauce. Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours over low heat. If necessary, thicken stew with a little flour dissolved in water, or some mashed hard-boiled egg yolks. For those that could afford the luxury of dry sherry, a dash would be added just before serving.

Serve piping hot with rice and corn pone.