Mom's Beef Stew Recipe Reviewed

I grew up eating and loving my mother's beef stew.  To be honest, I've never liked any other beef stew.  I suspect it is because Mom uses tomato sauce as part of the "soup" instead of just beef broth, or perhaps it is because she doesn't add onion.  Whatever the reason, Mom's beef stew is like magic, especially on a cold day or when I am sick.

I have also cooked Mom's beef stew my entire adult life.  I learned how to prepare it long before I ever married and moved out of my parent's home.  It is still one of my favorite meals.  While I often desire beef stew in the winter, it is delicious any time of the year.

My husband likes to eat his beef stew over rice.  Several family members like to crumble up crackers over the top and stir them into their bowl of soup.  Clearly, there are multiple ways to enjoy beef stew.  Whichever you prefer, one thing that is always true, everyone loves Mom's beef stew. 

 

Mom's Stew Recipe

 I like to cut up a beef chuck roast for the stew, but when I was a child, we often used stew meat that was already cut up and sold in packages at the grocery store.  Either is fine, but my husband prefers more meat in stew.  Therefore, it is cheaper to buy a chuck roast when it is on sale and cut it up, than to purchase prepacked, cut up stew meat.  Mom and I both agree that the chuck roast is also better meat.    
 

Mom's Stew Ingredients 

• Beef Chuck Roast or Stew Meat (minimum of two packages of stew meat) 
• 5 – 7 Red Potatoes (peel and cup up) 
• 1 bunch of Carrots (peel & cut-up) 
• 1 Can Green Beans 
• 2 cans of Veg All 
• 2 small cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce 

 

Directions

Cut up a beef chuck roast or use 2 packages of cut-up stew meat. (See Image Below)

In a large dutch oven pot, add meat, salt, pepper and water. Water should be close to the top of pot, easily covering all meat 

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low boil, which is 4 on my stove top. 

Cover with tilted lid or a Pampered Chef "Boil Over No More" and simmer for 6 hours, checking occasionally to make sure water does not boil too far down.  Add water as needed to keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook for 6 hours, then add the vegetables and cook for 1 hour 

Add tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes

  

 

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Mom's Beef Stew Recipe Written by:

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Reviewing Herbes de Provence for Stews and How I Made Venison Stew

I've never been a fan of stews. Over my lifetime I've occasionally had a stew that was delicious. But typically, I'm just not a fan of the flavor. I never knew what the difference in flavor was and I never thought to ask. Now I believe that I know the answer: Herbes de Provence! I am a fan of Herbes de Provence.

What is Herbes de Provence?

I'd never heard of that seasoning blend until recently. While searching for a recipe for venison stew I found a young lady that uses Herbes de Provence in her recipe. I listened to why she recommended it and I looked it up. 

Herbes de Provence is a blend of herbs that were used in the Southeastern region of Provence France. These herbs were widely used because they were widely available in that area. The blend began to be bottled in the 1970s and became more widely available. The bottled version that I have contains:

• Thyme
• rosemary
• basil
• parsley
• oregano
• tarragon
• marjoram
• lavender flowers

I was a bit hesitant when I learned that lavender was included. In my opinion, lavender has become one of those scents and flavors that is becoming too widely used. And used with a heavy hand. But I decided to give a try just once. It turns out that the hint of lavender with the other herbs in a stew adds a wonderful flavor.

How Did I Make Delicious Tender Venison?

Venison is a very lean meat making it a healthy choice. Because it is so lean it can be overcooked and become rubbery. I have made the mistake of overcooking venison. This is why searched for tutorials on making venison stew. I wanted something other than a roast made in the crockpot and I wanted to attempt a flavorful stew.

I decided to use the recipe from Miss Allie's Kitchen, Her recipe includes venison, celery, potatoes, onions, and carrots. Her recipe is also how I heard about Herbes de Provence.

I seared the chunks of venison and removed them from the pan. I placed the other ingredients into the pan for just a bit to aid in softening them. I didn't realize that I didn't have diced tomatoes. So my first attempt did not include that ingredient but the stew turned out great despite that omission.  I then removed the vegetables from the pan, added the venison back into the pan with a sprinkle of flour as other recipes suggested to thicken the stew. I added the remainer of the ingredients and closed the pressure cooker.

Because venison is so low fat, I used a small pressure cooker. I prefer a stovetop pressure cooker although my son is trying to convince me to purchase an Instapot. I am accustomed to the stovetop style pressure cooker and get good results. But there are several ways to cook this stew and you can choose what works best for you.

 Simply Organic Ssnng Herbes De Provence, 1 Oz (Pack Of 6)Check Price

 

(note: The brand shown in the Amazon link is the brand I use and prefer. However, at the time of this writing, the product listed on Amazon is double the price of the same product in local stores)

Related Links:

Watch Miss Allie's Kitchen Classic Venison Stew video tutorial here. 

Find the ingredients and Miss Allie's Kitchen written recipe here. 

I recently began baking popovers which are perfect with venison stew! You can see my review of popovers here. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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