Beef Stew!

I had a request for a simple beef stew recipe...so here it is!

Shopping List:
1-2 lbs of beef stew meat (in meat section of grocery store, already cut up)
2 cartons beef stock/broth
2 bay leaves
3 potatoes (if russets-the brown ones, you want to peel them, red potatoes you can leave the peel on)
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 onion
Frozen peas and corn (optional)
1/2 tsp Powdered Sage
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
Cornstarch
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Flour

Mix 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp salt and some pepper. Dredge meat in flour and knock off the excess. Heat a large pot to high heat with 1 tbsp oil (any kind). Sear floured meat until outside is browned (don't want to cook it through, just so the outside is cooked). Add enough broth to cover meat by about 2 inches. Turn down heat until it is barely simmering (tiny bubbles every once in a while). Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on very low heat for 2 hours or more until the floury coating on the outside is gone and the meat is very tender. You can't really overcook stew meat. Stir occasionally.

Chop all the vegetables into big pieces (about inch-sized squares). Add them when the meat is finished. Keep cooking until the vegetables are cooked through. Add corn and peas (optional) a little before the vegetables can be pierced easily with a fork and fall off when lifted from the broth. Add more broth if needed. Add half of the spices then taste and add more if needed (I am guessing at the amounts). You probably won't need salt since broth tends to be pretty salty.

If you want the broth to be thicker, mix 2 tbsp of cornstarch in cold water in a separate container. Slowly pour into soup while stirring until it looks as thick as you want it to. Add more if needed. Cook until the opaqueness disappears. Voila! You have beef stew.

Now I have to get back to the frozen pizza I just burned in the oven.

If you don't want to go through with all the hassle, you can skip the flour and just throw everything (sans spices and frozen stuff, but with the bay leaves) in a crockpot, cook it on the 6 or 8 hours level and spice when finished. Not as much fun, not as good tasting, but much easier.