Beef Stew

Ingredients

3 lbs. lean stew meat, well-trimmed
½ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
¼ cup oil
½ cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup water
3 cups Beef Broth
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. dried thyme (2 tsp. fresh)
3 whole cloves
15 small white onions, peeled
2 cups carrots, peeled, thickly sliced
3 cups potatoes, peeled, ¾-inch-cubed
1 cup green beans, 1-inch pieces

Method

Cut the stew meat into 1-inch cubes. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper and flour the beef pieces thoroughly. Heat the oil in a heavy 6-quart pot. Brown the beef in the oil, a few pieces at a time, until all are brown, adding another tablespoon of oil if necessary.

When all the beef cubes have been browned, return them to the pot with any remaining flour. Add the chopped onion, garlic, water, broth (or wine), bay leaf, thyme, and cloves. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 ¼ hours. Remove the cloves (They usually float to the surface) and bay leaf. Add the white onions, and simmer covered, for 30 minutes longer.

Add the carrots, potatoes, and beans and continue to cook for about 20 minutes longer or until the vegetables are done. If you wish to thicken the stew, whisk 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour (preferably quick-mixing sauce and gravy flour) into ½ cup of water and slowly add it until the stew is the desired consistency. Cook for a few minutes longer. Correct seasoning.