Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew


It's a cold and rainy day here in Tucson making it a great day for beef stew.  I grew up enjoying every kind of stew imaginable from beef to lamb and even kidney stew.  The only thing better than a good pot of stew is a pot of stew left over later in the week.  Like so many dishes like marinara sauce and stew, a little extra time for the flavors to meld results in an even more savory dish.  When I was in the boy scouts my favorite thing to make over the fire was the beef stew my mom taught me how to make.  I would  place a big flat rock in the middle of the fire and cook the beef slowly for hours in surrounded my embers.  You might say this is an inspired dish influenced by my mom, my experience in the boy scouts and years of reading recipes and refining and combining ingredients.  The key to a slow cooker stew is to cook it low and slow for 8-10 hours.

Ingredients
4-5 Pound Stew Meat- Preferably Chuck or Bottom Round
Olive Oil
2 Large Leeks, rinsed and chopped
1 Large Onion cut into eighths
6-8 Cloves Garlic
1 Pound Carrots cut into big chunks
1 Pound Red Potatoes cut the same size as carrots
1 Bunch Celery cut into chunks
1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
2 Cups Beef Broth
3/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tspn Dried Thyme
2 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca
One Bag Frozen Peas
Salt, Pepper

1. Cut beef into stew sized cubes and brown on all sides then transfer to slow cooker.

2 Saute Leeks in a bit of Olive Oil with generous amounts of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

3. Add the red wine and bring to brisk simmer for 2 minutes to cook of alcohol.  Add beef broth, bay leaves,  soy sauce and tomato paste and let it all simmer 5 minutes or so the throw it in the slow cooker on top of the browned beef.  Add the Minute Tapioca  to help the gravy thicken and mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the celery, garlic, potatoes, carrots and thyme together with  a couple of glugs of olive oil and a generous amount of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper.

5. Cover beef with an over sized piece of tin foil with edges turned up.  Pour the veggies from the mixing bowl on top of the foil and cover with one more piece of foil.  Scrunch it all down, put the lid on top and cook on low 8 hours.

About thirty minutes before serving, remove lid and pour the veggies and bag of peas into the stew and stir well.  Taste for seasoning and let cook for 30 minutes more.














I like to serve this stew in a big bowl with a  good crunchy roll to lop up the gravy.  This was a real crowd pleaser.  My daughter Tara went back for seconds and my sister Gina and brother in law James loved  it and took home a Tupperware for a leftover delight later in the week.