Beef Stew

Mary gave me this tasty stew recipe from her Magnolia Farm cookbook she got for Christmas.  Her serving suggestion was with jalapeno cornbread but we had homemade bread on hand so that's what we used. Notes from this time:

•  I let it simmer for a little over an hour but could understand how much more flavorful it could be if it was left to simmer all day like she suggested. 
• I didn't have celery on hand which was very sad.
• I also didn't have garlic salt. 
• I used frozen corn and added some heavy cream at the end to make up for the lost creaminess. 

Beef Stew

Servings: 8 to 10 

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients:

    1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    4 tablespoons salted butter

    1 white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice

    3 celery stalks, cut in 1/4-inch dice

    1/4 cup all-purpose flour

    1 tablespoon garlic powder

    1 tablespoon garlic salt

    One 32-ounce box beef broth

    One 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

    One 14.4-ounce can gold and white corn

    1 large russet potato, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

    1 cup frozen peas

Steps:

1. Lightly season the beef with a pinch each of salt and pepper. In a large soup pot, heat the butter over medium until the foam subsides. Add the beef and saute it until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute tje ingredients are tender but not fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour, garlic powder, garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well combined. 
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, corn, and its liquid, and potato. Add up to 1 cup water if necessary to ensure that the ingredients are covered. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the meat and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.   
4. Add the frozen peas and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are cooked but still bright, 5 to 10 minutes. Ladle the stew into bowls. Serve immediately with the cornbread on the side. 
5. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

EAT