country beef stew with a secret ingredient

45 Pinches 1 Photo
The Villages, FL
Updated on Jan 5, 2016

I always wondered why my mother's beef stew was more flavorful than ones I had elsewhere. Once I started looking at other recipes I realized that most people do not use ketchup. Yes, that's my secret ingredient! Give it a try.

prep time 30 Min
cook time 8 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot
yield 6 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 - onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1 pound carrots cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 pound white potatoes, cut into large chunks
  • 3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup ketchup (the secret ingredient!)
  • 3/4 cup peas, frozen petite
  • 1/2 teaspoon accent
  • 1 - salt and pepper
  • 1 cup water

How To Make country beef stew with a secret ingredient

  • Step 1
    You can either cook this in a crock pot or simmer on the stove. I cook it for about 8 hours on low in the crock pot. It needs to simmer on the stove for about 90 minutes or until the meat is tender.
  • Step 2
    Heat oil in a skillet and brown the meat in batches. Move it to the crock pot or dutch oven as you go. When the meat is all browned, add the flour to the skillet. Add more oil if needed. Brown as if for gravy. Add cold water and mix well. Pour over meat.
  • Step 3
    Add everything else to the pot except the peas.
  • Step 4
    Mix and cover.
  • Step 5
    Crock pot - Cook on low for 8 hours. Add the peas and let them heat through. Enjoy!
  • Step 6
    Stove top - Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Add more water if needed. Stir in the peas and let heat through. Enjoy!

Discover More

Category: Beef
Ingredient: Beef
Culture: Southern

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