Ba-ba-ba Beef Stew!

When I saw in the paper this morning that a cold front will soon reach Nashville, I got a craving for a big pot of beef stew. If memory serves, the last time I made beef stew was last December. Whenever it was, I was thinking about the stuff all day; and I got to work as soon as I got home this afternoon.

Beef stew, I ain't afraid to say, is a specialty of mine. My recipe is quite simple, and here's how I do it:

Joltin' Django's Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs beef stew meat
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium white onion, large-diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 4-ounce jar Green Giant mushrooms (sliced or whole)
2 tablespoons Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions


Cut stew meat into 1/4-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy pot to medium. Brown meat in olive oil, in two batches. Add flour to oil and juices and stir for 4-5 minutes to make a roux.

Add garlic, onion, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, Greek seasoning and cayenne to pot. Cover with water and stir. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a slow, slow simmer. Cook for 90 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed, before serving.

Recommended hot sauce for this dish: Regular or green Tabasco®.