NastassjaCanCook: Country-style Beef Stew | “My Grandmother's Recipe”

Sep 25, 2021 • I usually make this stew either in a fast cooker or slow cooker, but today I want to show you how to make it in just the oven. My grandmother used to make this stew quite often and it was cooked in traditional Russian stove known as a pechka.. This stove was the heart and soul of country living. It made food, baked bread and also gave heat in winter days to warm up the house.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb stew meat [UK: stewing steak]
2 large onions
1 cup beef stock (or water)
1 cup tomato puree
3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
4-5 cloves
minced garlic 1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp chili pepper
1 bay leaf

The meat, the METHOD and the cooking pot:

Best cuts of beef for stew are chuck, sirloin or boneless short ribs. This dish is made entirely in the oven and does not require any pre-cooking. The secret is in the temperature of your oven. Add all ingredients to a cast iron Dutch oven [UK – casserole]

Place in the oven (uncovered) at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour.
Mix it and cover it either with the lid or foil.
Lower the temperature of your oven to slow a cooking temperature of 220°F (120°C) and cook for a further 3 - 4 hours.
Total cooking time would be 5 hours and will result in a thick sauce, full of flavor. The meat will be very tender.
Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Vegetables like: carrots and mushrooms can be added at the end, when there is about 1 hour of cooking time left.
Enjoy!