Ozark Mountains Stew

This ain’t your grandma’s plain beef stew. Ozark Mountains stew brings serious heat and warm spices to the pot: chili powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, and dried red peppers all simmer together with flour-dredged beef cubes and canned tomatoes for a rich, complex broth.

Browning the beef in lard is old-school and intentional. Lard gives you a higher smoke point than butter and adds a savory richness that cooking oil can’t match. The flour dredge on the beef thickens the stew as it simmers, so you don’t need to add a roux or slurry later.

Two hours of covered simmering melts the beef into tender, falling-apart cubes. Potatoes and carrots go in for the last 45 minutes so they cook through without turning to mush. The cinnamon and cloves add an unexpected warmth that’s more chili-like than stew-like, giving this dish its distinctive Ozark character.

Chef Tips

• Brown the beef in batches. Crowding the Dutch oven causes the meat to steam instead of sear, and you lose that flavorful crust.
• Don’t be intimidated by the spice list. The cinnamon and cloves don’t make this taste sweet. They add depth and complexity that blends into the chili powder and tomato base.
• Use a heavy Dutch oven for even heat distribution during the long simmer. Thin pots create hot spots that scorch the bottom.
• The stew tastes even better the next day. The spices meld and mellow overnight in the refrigerator.

Variations

• Add a can of kidney or pinto beans in the last 30 minutes for a heartier, chili-stew hybrid.
• Swap potatoes for cubed sweet potatoes, which pair beautifully with the cinnamon and chili spices.
• Stir in a tablespoon of cocoa powder with the spices for a mole-inspired depth.