Ol' Time Beef Stew!

Continuing along on my winter cooking spree of making every soup/stew/comfort food known to mankind, last night I simmered up a batch of Old Time Beef Stew. What's in it that actually makes it Old Time, who the heck knows. I suppose the ground clove might. Maybe the paprika?? The root vegetables? Who knows. Point is, I made it. It was fabulous, of course. I love Beef Stew in general - its such a no-frills, no nonsense, man-friendly meal. Which works out well, since there is a very no-frills, no-nonsense man that hangs around my kitchen occasionally....

Word to yo' mother: Know that 'beef stew meat' or 'stewing beef' or 'beef chunks for stewing' (whatever the heck your local grocery store decides to name it) is usually going to have a chewier texture then, say, a large hunk of chuck roast/bottom round/rump roast (all used for Pot Roasts). There's not as much fat on the chunks of beef, so the finished product does end up slightly drier, slightly chewier. Which to me, is perfect for a stew - who wants mushy, shredded beef mingling among gorgeous, perfectly intact bites of potatoes, carrots, and celery??? Save the shredded, tender beef for mashed potatoes and sandwiches, ya know?!

Anyways, I followed the recipe almost exactly....I used 2 C. of Beef Broth, instead of the water - try it - it gives the stew a much richer flavor. I also added three cubed potatoes when I added the veggies, because WHO DOESN'T add potatoes to Beef Stew??!!! I also added a handful of fresh button mushrooms, which was a GREAT idea - try that too. Oh...and okay, I also added two extra cloves of garlic, minced. But, besides that....the recipe really is great. Seriously. You can serve it over egg noodles, or rice, or just do what I did and serve it as The Shining Star Main Course -by itself, unadorned, in huge bowls with huge spoons.

I baked some Popovers to dip into the stew, which were also fabulous. Another super simple recipe, one that I make every single week because N's obsessed with "Pop-offs", as he thinks they are called. I never correct him - I find it (and him) kind of endearing.