Boy Friend Maker Stew

A stew is one of the oldest cooking methods we can find descriptions of. There is some evidence of practices going back 8,000 years or more.

Stewing was developed for the toughest cuts of meat. “Better” or “leaner” cuts may become too dry if cooked this way. Save those for roasting or grilling.

Stews are thicker than soups and can often be served on beds of rice or noodles. Here in slave's Boy Friend Maker Stew, we have dumplings made right in the pot.

Now this cooks for 10 hours and develops several layers of flavors so plan on this as a special treat for a cold and blustery day!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cans of Campbell's condensed beef broth
• mustard
• 4 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 10 oz. sliced mushrooms.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 5 small yellow potatoes, quartered
• 1 package baby carrots
• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 bay leaves (some add frozen peas in last hour of cooking)

Directions:

Do your cutting the night before. This take 10 hours in the cooker so it will have to go on early. Plan ahead. Wrap up the cut onion, celery, garlic, etc. well and put in the refrigerator overnight. You don't want to try wielding that sharp knife before your first cup of coffee!

Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large bowl. Add the beef cubes and stir until the meat is all coated. Over a medium heat, Sauté coated beef in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until browned, approx. 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer to pot. BTW save the bowl with flour left in it.

In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup of beef broth with the 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce. Pour the rest of the broth into that large bowl with the flour left in it. Whisk well.

Get out the timer! Set it for 3 minutes.

Add chopped onion to skillet: cover to heat and soften for 3 minutes.

Uncover, reset the timer and stir for another 3 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery, cover for 3 minutes. Again, reset the timer.

Now add the garlic and stir for one last 3 minutes.

This process builds the layers of taste for your fantastic stew.

Give the flour mixture another whisk – it will have settled.

Pour the bowl with broth & Worcestershire into the skillet to de-glaze any bits of meat or vegetables then pour over beef and onions in cooker.

Whisk again and add half of the beef broth-flour mixture to the cooker. (pitch the rest).

Float the bay leaves on top.

Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours.

Now you will have plenty of time to get the rest prepared.

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With an hour to go on the time.

Wash and dice the potatoes. Wash and slice the mushrooms. Get out the frozen peas.

Remove the bay leaves and add the new vegetables to the cooker along with:

2 tbs. each of balsamic vinegar & Worcestershire sauce with 1 tbs. of cornstarch and stir into the stew.

Cover and raise the heat to HIGH!

Now mix up the dumplings!

Dumplings

1½ cups Original Bisquick™ mix

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon dried sage leaves, crushed

½ cup milk

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In small bowl, mix Bisquick mix, ½ teaspoon thyme and the sage. Stir in milk just until the mix is moistened.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the stew pieces rather than directly into the liquid. The dumplings will steam rather than settle into the liquid and become soggy. Be sure the stew is piping hot, so the dumplings will start to cook from the steam right away. 

 

Cover; cook 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Your kitchen is going to smell wonderful all day. What a great way to keep your special people warm! Heat some crusty bread in the oven to accompany this.

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NOTE: some save time by not browning the meat first, this is a personal preference. You may want to skip this if you are hurrying off to work. Some add an envelope of beef gravy mix or prepared stew mix flavoring. It is NOT necessary and adds too much sodium for our table. Some add a tbs of “Kitchen Bouquet” to darken the gravy and add a beef flavor, again not necessary as your slow cooker has insured a fantastic beef taste. Save these “flavor helpers” for when you need it.

Hope this helps you serve your family with the joy that I serve Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon