Beef Stew - A Few of Many Variations

Few things in our family have more variations than beef stew.  It was a cold-weather staple that we had at least once a month.  Mom's beef stew was different from Granny's beef stew.  Mine is different from both of their versions.  To be honest, we all made significant variations on our own recipes based on what we have on-hand, our moods, etc.

There are some personal differences that never varied.  Granny's beef stew was far more beefy and the broth was thicker than the versions that Mom and I make.  Mom used canned beef broth from Swanson or College Inn.  We all use carrots, potatoes, onions, pepper, and chuck roast - not stew beef.

Making your own stew beef from chuck roast.

Now, stew beef is generally cut-up chuck roast, so why do we get the chuck roast and cut it up ourselves?  1. It's cheaper. Now days, it is cheaper by a good dollar or two.  2. When I was growing up, it was commonly know that "stew beef" was cut from beef cuts that were almost too old to sell.  Ew.  3.  Aunt Neet, who was married to Uncle Marvin, confirmed this for us when she worked at a meat processing house during WWII.  Prior to then, one did not purchase chicken thighs, for example.  Instead, the entire chicken was bought.  During WWII, "select" cuts came out.  Aunt Neet told us that birds that were damaged were cut up and bad pieces were discarded.  Who really wants a chicken leg from a bird that had a gangrene wing?  Yuck! 

Granny's father was a butcher.  He also stood by this assessment and, while they may not be true in today's supermarkets held by health regulations on meat handling, I simply cannot shake the image.  Besides: It's cheaper.  And I am my mother's child.  And the stew beef in the packaging looked dicey at best today.  A fourth reason: Cutting it up myself justifies the need for quality kitchen knives.  (The great-granddaughter of a butcher needs good kitchen knives as do the great-great grandchildren.)

Once the beef is cubed, here are the options:

• Granny would dredge hers in flour and fry them in Crisco a few pieces at a time to get quality browning on each one of them.
• Mom would sometimes dredge hers in flour but she usually skipped this step.  She would fry them in hot vegetable oil and only cared that no pink showed.
• I generally dump mine in the pot with some kind of oil like sunflower, safflower, even olive oil because that is what I have on hand.  I then turn up the heat and will brown it until all pink is gone and some browning has started.

At this point, cube/cut veggies.  Again, there are options:

• Granny added three stalks of celery, a pound of carrots, a large onion, and a pound or two of potatoes.  
• Mom stayed true to the carrots, onion, and potatoes.  However, she would either add stalks of celery or a teaspoon or so of celery seed.  Sometimes, she would dice a handful of cabbage for flavor.
• I tend to use carrots, onion, and potatoes and typically use celery seed over celery.  That is not the case today as I had celery on hand and did not have celery seed.   The cabbage is great, but I rarely have leftover raw cabbage around.

Dump the veggies on top of the browned beef.

Now it is time to add liquids and seasonings.  Again, options:

• Granny would cover her veggies in beef stock and added a 15 or 16 ounce can of whole tomatoes.  Using her spoon, she would crush the tomatoes a bit prior to cooking.  She would add pepper and salt at this point.
• Mom would cover her veggies in beef stock but added a large can of whole tomatoes crushing each tomato by hand - but she did not use crushed tomatoes because she wanted tomato pieces throughout her beef stew.  She added pepper but not salt at this point.
• After using both of the options above, I generally use a jug of V-8 and either Wyler's beef bouillon or Kitchen Basics Beef Stock.  Sometimes, I will add a 15-16 ounce can of whole tomatoes and omit the V-8, but I find that I do this less and less.  I like the flavor that V-8 adds to the stew.  (I like the spicy V-8 but regular is tasty too.)  I add pepper but not salt at this point.   I didn't add the tomatoes this time around.

Probably a brand new version...

Even in cooking, there are options:

• Granny placed her stew in a pressure cooker.  Now I do not like pressure cookers.  I'll write why at the bottom, but I know that it did not take her more than 15 minutes to get a fully cooked beef stew.  She would thicken the liquid with a bit of flour and beef stock, and adjust the seasonings prior to serving it. 
• Mom cooked her beef stew in a Crock Pot.  Basically, brown the beef, toss in everything else and leave it on low for 10-12 hours.  (If you do not brown the beef, the potatoes become an icky pink color and, while I like pink, not that kind of pink.)  Adjust the seasonings.
• I often cook mine in the oven for a few hours or on the stove for like 90 minutes to 2 hours or so when all veggies are at a point that I like them.  (This will depend on the size/thickness of the veggies/beef.)  I used to thicken the broth but it is something I have stopped doing.  Adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Just add "spoon."

And in serving, there are even more options!

• Granny would serve beef stew with most any kind of buttered bread, and would even serve it with crackers.  When she had time, she made scalded or fried bread.   
• Mom almost always served this with scalded or fried bread.  She also added spaghetti to hers, which I hated.  (I now regret giving her grief for it because I now realize she was trying to stretch the meal.)
• I typically serve it with cornbread or scalded/fried bread.  Mmmm.  Corn pone is good and, fortunately, all of my nieces and nephew have cast iron skillets to go that route.

Don't tell that I changed it....except for this recipe.  ;)

Normally, I would be all secretive on making changes to a family recipe, but this is one recipe where no one took offense if it was changed.  In hindsight, I believe this was because beef stew was a great way to use up odds and ends from other meals.  Trimmings from the pot roast could become stew beef.  An extra onion, few potatoes, some celery and carrots and one has a yummy meal.  Easy.

The Pressure Cooker Story: I was perhaps 10 years old and it was spring time.  The day was one of the first days when screen doors and windows were open.  Mom had spent all day scrubbing every wall, cabinet, appliance, corner of the floor, etc.  I'd help a bit, which means I was under her feet all day.  She decided to make chicken for dinner, but time had gotten away from her.  Crawling to the back of the cabinet, she got her pressure cooker.  We were putting away sponges, mops, etc. as the pressure cooker made its happy tsht-tsht sound.  Then it seemed to scream a psssssssssst that increased pitch with each passing moment.  To make it worse, the pressure cooker started to spin on the stove top and then it took flight.  It hit the ceiling, the walls, cabinets, and Mom shoved me out of the room.  It continued to wreck havoc on the room spewing chicken broth and fat all over the place.  Needless to say, Mom scrubbed everything until nearly midnight that night - and I have been slightly fearful of the pressure cooker since then.

For those unfamiliar with V8 or bouillon: 

V8 is a mixed vegetable juice.