For all of the recipes I've tried, and I'm sure I'll try others, my favorite is this simple one from a Farm Journal Cookbook and the recipe my mother often made. I like this recipe because you don't dredge the meat first when you brown it, and the "don't dredge first" method in one they subscribe to at America's Test Kitchen. I'll never dredge the meat first ever again after trying this method. Brown the meat in small batches and don't over-crowd the pan for the best results. Patience will pay you great dividends in the end ;-). -Grainlady

BROWN STEW

(Brown the meat "slow and deep" to achieve top flavor.)

3 T. fat
1 clove garlic, cut in half
2 lbs. beef chuck, cut in 1-1/2" cubes (I like small 1/2-3/4-inch cubes, so that's what I use)
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. lemon juice
1 small bay leaf
4 c. hot water
3 medium potatoes, cut in halves
4 carrots, cut in thirds
1 c. celery (in 1-inch pieces)
1 c. cooked lima beans
1 c. cooked peas
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. water

Heat fat in Dutch oven, deep stew pan or large fryer. Add garlic and meat. Brown meat on all sides in hot fat.

Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, bay leaf and 2 c. water. Cover. Simmer 2 hours; stir occasionally.

Remove bay leaf. Add 2 c. water, potatoes, carrots and celery. Continue cooking 30-minutes or until vegetables are done. Add beans and peas.

Blend together until smooth 1/4 c. flour and 1/2 c. water. Stir into liquid to thicken.

Makes 8 servings.

Feel free to use other vegetables. I normally add whatever I have on hand. I'll use freeze-dried or frozen vegetables.

Hi tmjb!

For me, beef stew never comes out exactly the same way twice because I tend to use what's in the fridge but here's a basic outline I follow.

Beef Stew

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for sauteeing plus more to drizzle
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle good quality dry red wine (I use Burgundy)
8 fresh thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
1 orange, zest removed in 3 strips
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups beef stock (homemade is better but boxed is fine)
9 small red potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in half
1/2 pound carrots (about 4-6 depending on size), peeled and sliced
2 cups frozen pearl onions, a large handful
1 pound white mushrooms, cut in half
1/2 pound frozen peas
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish

Directions

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream.

Horseradish Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chives, finely chopped, as garnish

Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

/tricia

May I tack on a beef stew question? Yes? Thanks!

I never dredge the meat, either, and I brown the meat in batches to get more browning and less steaming. Here's the question: By the time I get to the second batch, the "flavorful browned bits" from the first batch are pretty well "burnt, bitter, black bits" that I can't imagine would add good flavor when deglazed. As a result, I tend to wash the pan or dutch oven in between batches, keeping only the fond from the last batch. This is a step I've never seen discussed in recipes. Anyone else have this issue?

FOAS, you have the heat turned up to high. I also have found that meat browns better in a shallow pan, rather than a deep dutch oven.

I brown the meat in a cast iron skillet and add each batch to the dutch oven. I also saute some chopped onions or shallots in the drippings before deglazing with beef broth. This gets added to the dutch oven. Just means one more pot to wash. Not a big deal.

I don't dredge in flour either. I find the meat browns better without the flour.

I also like Dumplings with stew.

Like Tricia, my stew is a little different every time.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Beef Stew
=========
I like simple beef stews that are more brothy then in a thick gravy. I don't have an exact recipe as I usually just wing it. Here is basically what I do.

Brown beef chunks in some oil. Add some chopped shallots and a minced garlic clove. Cover with beef broth, add a bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme and simmer for until meat is almost tender. Add some whole small onions peeled, celery cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and simmer for another 30 minutes and then add potatoes cut into large chunks, a couple of carrots cut into pieces, some fresh green beans, and some rutabaga cut into chunks. Simmer until vegetables are tender add some peas and then cook some dumplings on top. Serve in bowls. I find that beef used in stew takes at least 2 hours to become tender, depending on the size of the beef cubes and the cut of beef used.

Sometimes I add wedges of cabbage instead of turnip. You can also add other vegetables of your choice, ie. parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc..

I'll contribute a rapido version using a pressure cooker, which I consider a useful tool for a stew lover.

1. Cut beef into 2" chunks, salt lightly, put a few tbsp oil in your pressure cooker and, high heat with lid off, deeply brown the meat, working in batches.

2. Pour off the excess oil. Add some red wine, scrape up the fond with a wooden spoon. Put the browned meat back in the cooker. Add not-too-much aromatics (garlic, onion, celery, don't bother to chop). Then add rest of the bottle of wine, enough to cover the meat.

3. Seal lid, bring to high pressure, cook 30 min at high pressure.

4. Open lid (put cooker in sink, run cold water down the side up the pressure drops and you can open the lid), remove meat, put your potatoes, carrots, and other veg into the cooker - they will be submerged in the liquid - place the meat on top. Seal lid, bring to high pressure, cook another 30 min at high pressure.

5. Open lid, remove meat and veg to a bowl, strain the liquid, and put strained liquid back in the cooker. Lid off and high heat, boil the liquid until it reduces to the thickness you desire. This will take about 30 min.

6. Put meat and veg back in cooker, turn to coat with the sauce and warm. Garnish and serve.

Herbs and spices of your choice can be added in step 2. I usually use rosemary or dill (because they grow outside). The twigs and bits get strained out in step 5. Use firm potatoes (red or gold, not russet) and cut your veg into large chunks lest they disintegrate into mush. If mushified veg remains a problem, shorten step 4 and lengthen step 3.

Total time will be about 2 hours. You can skip the reduction and instead dredge the meat in flour before browning in step 1, and stir in a slurry of flour or cornstarch into the liquid in step 5. This will shorten the time required to about 1 1/2 hours.

I am working on a way to shorten the process to 1 hour. But anyway, this allows you to get home and make stew for dinner.

Although an unpopular option, I find that when I brown in a non stick pan the fond sticks to the meat and not the pan so there is never the issue you have. However, when I do use a regular pan- anything not non stick, basically- the fond is left on the bottom of the pan and can burn with enough batches of meat. So, if it ever starts to look too dark, I deglaze, pour it all into a bowl, then start over with a cleanish pot. I also prefer frying pans for browning meat.
As I am addicted to the dishwasher, multiple pots are ok with me.

Thank you everyone for the recipes!

I'll be making the stew this weekend and freezing the rest of the beef for the pot roast.

FOAS, turn the heat down on your pan and use two pans to brown. Saves time and no "second" browning.

John, in your 4th step, doesn't 30 minutes turn the veggies into a very soft state?

The carrots are okay, the potatoes can be mushy, use bigger chunks - e.g. I only quarter the potatoes. 30 min on high pressure is equivalent to about 2 hours regular cooking.

IMHO do not put cloves or allspice in stew unless you just really love that taste. Just recently I made a recipe I found in the Fanny Farmer cookbook for "old fashioned stew" which called for just a small amount of allspice...let's just say that ruined the whole pot of stew...gross! We ate it but did NOT enjoy that flavor at all. Next pot of stew I used the same recipe omitting the allspice and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure you can find that recipe google searching...I'd recommend it but don't put in the allspice!

Beef stew is one of those meals I usually just "wing it", using what I have on hand like Tricia mentioned.

That said, I have made this recipe a few times and it's delicious. I use a bit less wine and a bit more broth because Tim is not a big fan of red wine.

Hearty Beef Stew
From Tasty Kitchen-asweetpeachef

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, Cut Into 1-inch Chunks
2 pinches Kosher Salt
2 pinches Ground Black Pepper
1/4 cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Carrots, Unpeeled And Quartered
2 whole Celery Ribs, Quartered
1 whole Medium Yellow Onion, Quartered
10 cloves Garlic, Split In Half
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/4cups Balsamic Vinegar
3/4bottles Dry Red Wine (I Used Merlot, 750Ml Bottle)
1 whole Bay Leaf
2 whole Fresh Thyme Sprigs
4 cups Beef Broth
2 pounds Red Or Yukon Potatoes, Unpeeled And Chopped Into Bite-sized Pieces
3/4 pounds Carrots, Unpeeled And Sliced Diagonally Into Bite-size Slices
7 whole Cremini Mushrooms, Quartered
For Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef chunks with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Pour flour into a shallow dish and lightly coat the beef with flour. Without crowding the meat place it into the Dutch oven and brown in batches, turning to brown all sides. You will have approximately 3-4 batches. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue until all meat is browned.
Reduce the heat in your Dutch oven to medium and add the quartered carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook approximately 10-15 minutes until well-browned, stirring occasionally.
Add tomato paste to the pot and mix to incorporate. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar to the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Cook another 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the wine, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer until liquid is reduced by two thirds, approximately 10-15 minutes.
Add beef broth to the pot, along with the beef (with any residual juices), and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in the oven until meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Carefully remove the meat, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Set beef aside and discard the herbs. Using a stick blender, blend the remaining contents in the pot (if you don�t have a stick blender, you can use a food processor or blender). After blended, return the meat to the pot and bring to a boil.

For Step 2:
Add the potatoes, 3/4 pound of carrots and the mushrooms to the braised beef mixture, taking care to submerge as many vegetables as possible. Simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Linda

What, seven posts since the last picture? We must be slipping.

Step 2 here.

Here's one that's delicious from our friend Monique:
MAHOGANY BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE AND HOISIN SAUCE from Monique
Hoisin adds complexity to the flavor of the sauce. You can save some time �" and some tears �" by chopping the onions in the processor in two batches.
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
2 bay leaves
1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides of pot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.
* Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.
Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
Entertaining Made Easy
February 2002
I add many more vegetables and spices we love..I cook it in the oven..slow 325 until I add the vegetables ..then 350.
Or DH loves the Guiness Beef Stew recipe. Hearty but great depth of flavor. He won't touch a glass of Guiness, but added to the stew, it's a winner!

Irish Beef Stew (from Simply Recipes)

Beef stew recipe made with beef, garlic, stock, Irish Guinness beer, red wine, potatoes, carrots, and onions. An excellent, hearty stew.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of fine red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1 Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the beef pieces. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over. Continue to cook in this manner until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2 While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step one has simmered for one hour.

3 Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

And . . . dinner time!

I know, the sauce looks weirdly reddish. Blame the beets.

I'll add my crock pot version...which also varies depending on what and how much vegetables I have around.

2 lbs stew meat
1/3 c. flour
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 lg stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 white or yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 t dried basil
1-2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 can beef broth (14 oz)
1/2 c red wine
1 can petit diced tomatoes (14 oz), drained
Optional 1or 2 of: green beans, mushrooms, corn, peas, lima beans
-----
1/4 c flour
1/4 c water
kitchen bouquet or gravy master

I get the raw vegetables started in the microwave ... in a large bowl and zap for 5-8 min, otherwise they seem too hard yet at the end. Then put in the bottom of the crock pot. Add bay leaf. Toss the meat with the flour mixed with the salt and pepper and add on top of vegetables. (You can brown it first, but I never seem to need to, so I don't.) I mix the wet ingredients together with the basil and the tomatoes and then pour on top. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 10-14 hrs or on high for 4-5 1/2 hrs.

One hour before serving, turn crockpot on high. Mix flour and water till smooth and stir into crock pot juices to thicken gravy. Just before serving, taste and adjust seasonings.

I struggled for years to come up with a good beef stew. What I have found to be essential is a pressure cooker and the right meat.

The meat has to be chuck or short ribs (for the very best beefy flavor) and not too lean of cuts, either. If I've found a good price on short ribs, I pressure cook them and remove the bones and de-fat the broth. With chuck, I cube it, brown the meat (no flour), pressure cook, defat the broth and continue. (20 minutes pressure cooking time.)

Add celery, bay leaf chopped onion, carrots & potatoes, fresh/ frozen green beans, if I have them. Additional stock (beef or chicken broth), if needed. Either some BV or Kitchen Bouquet or a dab of Vegemite. If you have bits of leftover tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce, you can toss that in, too, but you don't want 'a lot' of tomato product in there.

Then I pressure cook the veggie additions (15 minutes) and use the quick release method.

At this point, I add cabbage chunks and canned green beans if I don't have fresh or frozen ones available. I do like to add a pinch of allspice sometimes or, alternatively, a teaspoon or so of mixed 'pickling spice' that is tied into a bag or put into a tea ball. (The key to using allspice is to be very, very conservative. If you can identify the taste of the spice in the finished product, you've added too much.) Also, a goodly am't of freshly ground black pepper. Let simmer until the cabbage is soft and creamy.

Any leftover beef, pork or chicken gravy that I might have gets tossed into the pot somewhere along the way, too.

I didn't think I had anything to add after all you serious cooks, but I believe that my beef stew is very tasty and after reading all your posts, I see that I do several things differently.

Not knowing anything different, I shake my cubed chuck in flour with salt, pepper and usually (I know you guys are going to run for the hills) At Least as much MSG as pepper. I brown the cubes in oil and bacon grease. I always have my bacon strainer/saver at the ready when I make bacon! I haven't noticed any serious burning/sticking issues.

After browning, I deglaze with some red wine and cover meat with water and simmer several hours with a few whole cloves, perhaps some oregano and a California bay leaf. Yes, I know it isn't the Greek stuff but it actually has some flavor (and I had it in my yard until I moved)! During the last hour( perhaps more for the onion), I add a cut up onion and lots of cut up potatoes, carrots and the last difference from you all, a more cut up turnip. I use the russet type potatoes. I suppose using the red or gold ones would work if added later. When done, the initial flour has thickened without addition.

I also don't care for the allspice/cloves flavor, and I don't want tomatoes in my beef stew, so my recipe is much like Grainlady's, and it very coincidentally also comes from Farm Journal.

I usually make the stew in my cast iron dutch oven, as I sometimes add dumplings but more often bake biscuits on top of the pot of stew. Cook it until it's done, add the biscuits to the top and bake until brown. Grandma always did stew like that, so I do too.

Annie

I also don't care for the allspice/cloves flavor, and I don't want tomatoes in my beef stew, so my recipe is much like Grainlady's, and it very coincidentally also comes from Farm Journal.

I usually make the stew in my cast iron dutch oven, as I sometimes add dumplings but more often bake biscuits on top of the pot of stew. Cook it until it's done, add the biscuits to the top and bake until brown. Grandma always did stew like that, so I do too.

Annie

Most stew recipes are basically similar, adapted more to personal preference. One of the first successful stews I made was based on Marcia Adams' Cooking from Quilt Country Amish Beef Stew. I liked the show. The recipe sounded easy enough and it turned out great. I can't find the exact recipe but I can dig out the book and post it later. In the meantime here's an adaptation that sounds quite close to the original recipe as I remember it. I know I didn't add the allspice. I used Italian Seasoning in place of most of the other spices along with some Lemon Pepper and garlic salt. I think I also used some beer in place of some of the water.

For a twist, I made SWMBO a beef stew sandwich. Sliced pieces of meat and veg, layered on toasted bread, sauced, and cut in half to make it not-to-messy.

I made up this recipe for stew one year during Milwaukee's Summerfest, so I call it Beef Festival. It's not quite traditional, but we like it.

Beef Festival

2-3 Lbs beef chuck roast, cut into bite sized chunks.
2 good sized cloves garlic
3 or 4 onions, large dice
2-3 healthy sized tsp of Paprika, if you have smoked, you can replace some or all of the paprika with that.
1 healthy sized tsp of Bouquet Garni (Penzey’s)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp plus a coupla shakes of Worshestershire
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 or 2 bay leaves
beef broth or water, about 4-6 cups, depending on how thick you like your stew
4 or so strips of bacon
3-4 good sized potatoes, cut to whatever size you’d like
8 carrots, cut in good sized chunks to cook at the same speed as the potatoes
4 ribs celery, large dice
parsley

Brown bacon, remove from pan. Then brown beef in bacon fat with the paprika, onion and garlic till the onion is just getting limp. Toss into a pot with the broth and add veggies and spices. Cook till everything is tender, adding water or broth to make it as soupy or thick as you like it. Thicken with flour/water if you prefer. This also works fine with pork. **If using a pressure cooker, cut the veg into larger pieces and leave the garlic whole. Bring to high pressure and cook for 15-20 minutes, less if your beef is cut into smaller chunks, more if it’s bigger. Turn off the heat and let the cooker depressurize naturally. This will result in a more tender beef. I know, this is contrary to Johnliu’s recipe for pressure cooker stew, but after reading and a little experimentation, I’ve found it to be a system that works for me. If the potatoes end up a little mushy, it really doesn’t bother me, but if it might bother you, cut them bigger or add them in stages. Reduce your broth if desired, or add thickener after pressure is released.

Stew is such an individual thing�"I like lots of veggies, and I don’t care for peas. So there are lots of carrots and potatoes and no peas in mine. :-) I’ve been known to chuck in some green beans, cabbage, or whatever is in the fridge after the pressure is off, during broth reduction.

Cj

This post must have been simmering in my brain. I found a 3.5 lb chuck blade steak in the freezer that my wife had bought at a local grass-fed-beef farm, that was starting to get freezer burn, and immediately thought "beef stew". My usual recipe is similar to many of the above, but one difference is I use a dark beer for deglazing the pan. Perhaps because of the really good beef the stew was the best I've ever made. Also I love the suggestion someone made here about browning the meat in several separate pans at the same time, rather than sequentially in the same pan.

Beef Stew

3.5 lbs Beef (cut into 3/4" cubes)
3-4 Tbsp oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 Tbsp flour
10 oz dark beer (stout or porter)
1 cup red wine
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 bay leaf
12 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 Tbsp dried Parsley
1 Tbsp Better-than-bullion concentrate

4 medium yukon gold potatoes (cubed)
3 carrots (cut to 3/4" lengths)
1 sweet potato (cubed)
8 large white mushrooms (sliced into wedges)
1/2 cup peas

Pat beef dry, heat oil in several separate pans, and brown beef in each of the pans. Dump meat into a dutch oven over medium heat, sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir well.
Next deglaze each of the pans using the dark beer, scraping up all the browned bits, and add beer to the pot with the beef. Also add the red wine, the diced tomatoes (including the liquid), the tomato paste, the garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, bullion, and parsley to the pan.

Cook the onion in one of the pans until translucent, add to pot, bring to a low simmer cover and cook for 60-90 minutes.

After about an hour, test the meat for tenderness. When the meat reaches the desired tenderness, start a separate pot of water and cook the potatoes, the carrots and the sweet potatoes in the separate pot on high. At the same time add the mushrooms and the peas to the stew.

When the potatoes and carrots are cooked, add them to the stew, reserving the water used to cook them. Add a cup of so or the potato water to thin the stew.

Serve with crusty bread.

OK, that does it, now I have a serious beef stew craving.....

Annie

Bob, that sounds terrific!