Old-Time Beef Stew
Submitted by Lisa1115
Old-time beef stew simmers floured chunks of stew meat with carrots, potatoes, and a secret splash of lemon juice and a pinch of allspice. Stovetop in 3 hours or crockpot all day.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
200 minOld-time beef stew skips the trendy red wine reductions and gets back to basics: floured stew meat browned hard, simmered low with carrots, potatoes, and a few quiet flavor boosters most modern recipes leave out. The lemon juice, allspice, and Worcestershire are the trio that turns a plain pot of beef and gravy into something with real depth.
Brown the beef in batches. Crowding the Dutch oven steams the meat instead of searing, which means no caramelized crust and a thinner, weaker gravy in the end. The flour coating does double duty, both browning into fond and slowly thickening the broth as it simmers.
Add the final flour-water slurry only after the vegetables are fully tender. Thickening too early traps starch under the carrots and potatoes.
Chef Tips
- A teaspoon of Worcestershire and a dash of allspice are what give the stew its old-fashioned flavor. Do not skip them.
- Cut potatoes and carrots into similar sized chunks so they cook evenly throughout
- Skim the fat off the top after the first hour for a cleaner, lighter finish
- Bay leaves go in whole and come out before serving. Fish them out before plating.
- The crockpot version saves hands-on time, but the stovetop method delivers a richer crust
Variations
- Add quartered button mushrooms or pearl onions during the last hour for more body
- Stir in a splash of dry red wine when adding the water for a richer gravy
- Sub sweet potatoes for half the white potatoes for a sweeter, earthier stew
Ingredients
Directions
Put flour, paprika and garlic powder in a plastic bag.
Coat stew beef in flour mixture and brown in hot oil in a large Dutch oven.
After all meat is browned, add the remaining ingredients except for ½ cup cold water and ¼ cup flour.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
When all vegetables are cooked, thicken with ½ cup cold water mixed with ¼ cup flour.
To cook in a crockpot, brown flour coated meat.
Put browned meat and remaining ingredients, except for thickening ingredients, to the crockpot.
Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or 5 to 6 hours on high.
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