Directions:
I have all the ingredients cut and laid out on plates ready for the cook.
I heat up my trusty Dutch oven.
Put the cubes in a bowl and toss with the flour and paprika. The paprika aids in browning
together with the flour and beef produces an awesome caramelized flavor to the beef.
reserve the left over flour and paprika mix in case you want to thicken the stew at the end.
Heat up the oil in the Dutch oven on medium and add part of the beef. Don't crowd the
beef or it won't brown properly. I brown a bit at a time and spoon it into a bowl and
then brown the rest. The paprika gives a beautiful reddish brown color. Also it will color
the sauce and make it look nice.
Next I add the stock, the beer and the onions and leeks.
the Bay leaf, peppercorns, caraway seeds, and the another tablespoon of
paprika. Believe it or not the peppercorns will get fairly tender and mellow in heat.
I enjoy biting into one and get a pungent rush of pepper flavor.
If you want to add a few teaspoons of ground pepper instead that is fine as well.
I browned the bacon in another pan then add to the pot.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour.
Check the beef every once in a while to see how tender it is getting. I want it to
be fork tender but I don't want it to fall apart. when it is almost tender enough then
I know it is time to add the rest of the vegetables.
Next I add the carrots, celery and turnips. I waited to add these because I don't want
them to turn to mush. Cook for about 30 - 45 minutes till the vegetables and meat
are tender.
Here is my finished stew. I added just a bit more paprika to the gravy to suit my taste. It also gives it a nice reddish brown color.
I thickened the stew with a mix of water and some of the flour- paprika mix that was left over from
breading the beef cubes. Pour it in a little of the mix at a time while the stew is simmering stirring constantly until it thickens. Be careful not to over thicken it. Just a little to give it body is perfect. |