drunken stew

This is my first attempt at making a stew.  And I must say I am happy with the result.   That's a lot for me to say coming from a long line of great stew cooks (and just cooks in general). My Mom makes the best stew known to mankind.  It's a maelstrom of flavor, chock full of veggies, slow cooked into tender morsels.  It's been years since I've had it, but can still smell it.

My Grandma makes a Brisket, cooked for 8 hours, tender, flavorful explosion in your mouth that always makes the Jewish Holidays, well, feel like a Jewish Holiday.

Needless to say I have high expectations.

I started out with this basic recipe.  But ended up making a mix of all three.  NOTE: You don't need  a slow cooker for this recipe, I used an iron skillet to brown the beef, and then a dutch oven to cook the stew overnight on the lowest oven setting.  But if you have a slow cooker, it is more energy efficient than running an oven on low for10 hours... sorry mother nature.  I call it drunken stew because I marinate the beef in red wine over night, but use beer in the broth, and a few more beers to drink while I cook.

Over Night Marinade for London Broil

•  1 cup add more if needed...red, red, wine. (I had too)
• Seasoning (cumin, jane's krazy salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder)
• 1 TBS olive oil

1. Sprinkle all your seasonings on both sides of the meat.
2. Add wine and olive oil and let sit over night, or while you're at work.  Approx 8 hours.
3. Discard marinade.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef ( I used London broil)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS unsalted butter
• 2 TS Janes Krazy salt
• 3/4 TS black pepper
• 1 TS dried leaf thyme
• 1 TS dried ground marjoram
• 1 TS dried l fresh garden basil
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 5 garlic cloves in food processor
• 12oz chicken broth (get the one with NO MSG!)
• 1 can or bottle (12 ounce) beer ( I used Sierra Nevada with a strong hops taste)
• 4 medium carrots, chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 4 medium to large potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 
  

  1 large onion in food processor
• *1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• *1/4 cup cold water

Preparation:

1. Remove meat from marinade and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Add the onions, oil, butter, garlic, and meat and brown.
3. Add the beer to the skillet and reduce heat.
4. Add the broth, vegetables, and all the seasonings.  If you are working with dried seasonings I would recommend using a Mortar & Pestle (I have small wooden one) it releases the flavors.
5. Add the browned meat to the dutch oven, cook at 350F for 90 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 200F over night.
7. In the morning you will have delicious stew.
8. * If you want a thicker stew in a small bowl or cup mix the flour and cold water until smooth; stir into the stew until hot and thickened (I didn't feel the need to do this step.)

Serves 6 generously.