I’m going to start with a statement here: “I love my mother in law’s food”
I really do, I’m not just saying it to become her favorite, it’s been too long and it’s too late now 🙂 I’m just being honest with you.
After we moved to Canada and had to adjust to life with no family around us 24/7, one of the tough things was to get used to not eating grandma’s food on weekends (either my mom’s or my husband’s mom). the kids missed it a lot and I get it, because food is not just that – food. It’s also some kind of trigger that makes memories feel more alive, it’s something that comforts us and is associated with something that happened or someone we know alot of times. So after we moved to Canada we missed that food that connected us with what we have always known as our home.
One of the things my son missed the most is my mother in law’s beef stew. It’s really simple but that’s exactly why it’s so good.
So when she came for a visit this past summer we made sure that on her second day here, we visited the grocery store and got some stewing beef.
The kids licked their fingers at the end of the meal, and looking at them I decided that I just HAVE to learn how to make this myself.
And even though I did ask and got specific instructions, just like always, I had to go and make something of my own.
This recipe is not originally my mother in law’s but it’s the closest thing to it as far as we’re concerned. I made this today and the kids were thrilled, they know it’s going to be good when I tell them it’s like grandma’s beef stew.
It’s easy to make and uses simple and readily available ingredients and it’s super wonderful on a cold evening like this. Give it a try.
- 1 Kg (2 lbs) Cubed Stewing Beef
- ½ Medium Onion
- 2 Carrots
- 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 Cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6-7 Medium Potatoes
- 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill
- 1 ½ Cup Hot Water
- Cut the stewing beef pieces into 1 X 1 inch cubes (if they came in a bigger size)
- Chop the onion into small pieces and slice the carrots into medium rings (or cubes)
- Place the 3 Tbsp flour in a medium bowl and add the beef cubes. Mix or shake well until the beef pieces are all fully covered with a thin layer of flour.
- In a medium size pot (preferable wide and heavy bottomed but not a must) preheat the oil over medium-high heat and add the pepper in.
- Add in the flour covered beef (without the excess flour, place the pieces one at a time) and make sure it’s in one layer (if it’s not, that’s OK, you'll just need to turn it more).
- Add in the carrots and onion and stir together.
- Let the beef brown on all sides, stirring and turning the pieces occasionally, until it is nicely browned. About 10-12 minutes.
- Once the beef is browned on all sides, add in the vegetable broth and salt.
- Partially cover the pot with its lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook on medium low with partially covered pot for about 30 minutes. If the broth is boiling and pouring out, you can slightly lower the heat but don’t cook on low.
- In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes into medium cubes.
- After the beef had been cooking for 30 minutes, open the lid and add in the potatoes.
- Add in the 1 ½ cup hot water until it just about covers the whole stew and potatoes. You may need less than 1 ½ cups or a bit more, depending on your pot size.
- Add in the chopped dill and stir to combine the dill in the stew.
- Place the lid back on the pot and let the stew cook with a closed lid over medium heat for another 30-35 minutes (if it boils and starts spilling, simply remove the lid a bit to partially cover the pot, but don't completely remove it).
