I don’t have a lot to say about this one. It’s one of my favorites and has been for years. This is the beef stew that my family has always made, for years.
I was surprised, then, that there’s so much debate online about how to thicken your beef stew. Do you use flour or cornstarch? Or do you just use the vegetables already in the stew itself, and mash some of the potatoes to thicken the sauce? I don’t think any of those are good answers. They don’t make a satisfying result in my book, but then again I’ve been spoiled by this delicious option instead. As liquid comes out of the vegetables and beef in the oven, the tapioca granules will dissolve and absorb the liquid. The result is a thick, glossy sauce that perfectly coats the stew.
By the way, although the directions are written for the oven, this recipe works equally well in your slow cooker. If you do it that way, cook it on low for eight hours, including the potatoes right from the start of cooking.
French Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 medium onions cut in eights
- 3 ribs celery cut in diagonal pieces
- 4 medium carrots cut in half crosswise and lengthwise
- 1 11-ounce can tomato juice
- 1/2 cup quick cooking tapioca
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 2 medium potatoes cut in slices 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
- Combine beef, onion, celery, and carrots.
- Combine tomato juice, tapioca, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil and pour over meat and vegetables. Stir.
- Cover and cook in 300° oven for 2 1/2 hours
- Mix potatoes into stew and cook one hour longer
Make it? Love it?
