Old-Fashioned Beef Stew
from www.marthastewart.com

To make good beef stew, be sure to use chuck beef. Using the wrong cut of beef is probably the worst mistake you could ever make when it comes to beef stew. Cuts of beef such as sirloin just don't break down in the same way in a stew. You're left with chunks of tight, dry meat rather than meltingly tender beef. Chuck has something called collagen. This breaks down over long cooking, rendering the meat fork tender and oh-so-tasty.

Secondly, be sure to get a good sear on your meat. Scraping up those caramelized brown bits from the bottom of your pot is going to give your stew a deep, rich flavor. Another important tip: make sure to cook your beef chunks in batches, giving each piece enough room to get really browned. Otherwise, they'll steam, resulting in gray lumps.

Mushrooms are another ingredient that can be added to give the stew a depth of flavor.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes (chuck roast)
1/8 cup vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12 small carrots, peeled and trimmed
12 small pearl onions, peeled
8 to 10 small new potatoes, peeled

On a piece of wax paper, mix together flour, salt, and pepper. Roll beef cubes in the mixture to coat. Shake off excess. In a medium Dutch oven, melt shortening over high heat. When very hot, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add beef and cook until brown. As each batch is finished set aside.

Return beef to the Dutch oven, and add 4 cups boiling water. Stand back, as it will splatter. Stir, and add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, bay leaves, and allspice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add carrots, onions, and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30 to 45 minutes more.

Serve with fresh homemade bread and butter.

Serves 6

Note: This recipe has been adapted from "Lost Recipes" Marion Cunningham. Copyright ©2003 by Marion Cunningham.