Basic Beef Stew

Oysterpot

Oysterpot

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This is a camp favorite especially when the evenings are cool and the days are crisp and clear.

Basic Beef and Veggie Stew
(Can be cooked in a 10-inch camp dutch oven)

2 lb chuck steak, 1" cubes (I cube to about ¾” or ½”)
2 large onion, quartered
3 tbs oil
1 - 10 1/2 can condensed beef broth plus 2 more cans of water (or equivalent using bullion cube)
1/2 cup flour
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
1 tsp pepper
1-2 TBS Worsteshire
1 bay leaf
6 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
4 med potatoes, peeled, cubed
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 cup whole (or halved) mushrooms
spices to your taste - suggestions: sea salt, sage, basil, ground pepper, powdered garlic and a pinch of oregano

Coat beef cubes with a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. (2 tbs of flour per pound of meat)

Brown meat in hot oil in bottom of oven.
While oven is still hot, pour some water in and scrape browned beef bits from bottom and sides of the DO.

Then add potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots and spices. Simmer for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees, stirring every 20 minutes or so.

Then place remaining ingredients into oven and cover.

Simmer 30-45 more minutes or until meat is tender and potatoes and veggies are done.

For a 12” oven you can increase qty’s by 1/3
 
George - when you describe the simmer process, are you doing that on stove or are you on coals? If coals please provide more details, as it seems the coals would need to be replenished during the 1-1/2 hours to maintain 300. After the rest of the ingredients are added and we simmer for another 30-45 minutes are we still maintaining 300? Suggested number of coals on top and bottom for 300? Replenish time?
Thanks, Jim
 
http://www.dutchovendude.com/campfire-cooking.shtml

At home I have a good guide....not home now
 
Jim, for stew, I personally preffer to cook over coals from a fire. But if charcoal is being used, with the exception of the very small 1qt pots, the ring method is the best (MO),
If you are doing a simmer, no coals are needed on top, and 1 ring on the bottom. This will give you a simmer. To increase temperature from that base, add coals to the top. 1 ring on bottom, and 1 ring on top is about 300 deg. 11/2 rings (inner ring put a bricket in between coals of outer ring)

I use kingsford charcoal, (I don't care for Walmart brand), and I can't find Royal Oak. Funny it is made 30 miles from where I live.
Kingsford charcoal will last about 45 minutes, depending on breezes. What I do is about 30 minutes into cook, I check for coal consumption, If I am going for a longer cooking period, I then start additional charcoal, when it has ashed over, I will add this charcoal to the existing coals. I will keep doing this until food is ready to serve.

I hope this helps.
 
This is really a pretty good stew recipe. My issue with stew is that everything tastes the same, so here is how I fixed it to make it more better.

Definitely put the onion, a couple carrots and a couple stalks of celery in as per the recipe to flavor the meat and gravy. Then I cook each of the veggies separately and add them the last two minutes. Amazingly good. The potatoes taste like potatoes, etc.

Hilditch
 
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