I posted this recently over on the Cooking Forum. It is easy, delicious, and flavorful - not hot spicy. You could make this in a stove top pot by browning the beef in some hot oil before adding the rest, then cook it long and slow for over an hour or until the beef is tender.

Spicy Beef Stew Crock pot

1 ½ to 2 lbs. stew beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
4 med. potatoes, cubed
4 med. carrots, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans tomato soup
2 soup cans water
1 c. red wine
2 TB flour
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/4t. pepper
1/2t. each oregano, basil, thyme, sage, marjoram
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves

Coat beef cubes with flour, s&p, paprika. Put vegetables in crock pot, top with the beef cubes. Mix all the rest but the bay leaves, pour over meat and veg in pot. Stir in bay leaves. Cook 8-10 hours until all is tender.

COMPANY BEEF STEW
2 lbs lean beef, chopped into small cubes
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
4 oz can mushrooms (or just saute fresh & add)
2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp dried basil
Salt & pepper
2 cups celery or more, cut in 1" lengths
2 cups carrots or more, cut in 1" lengths
1 green pepper, sliced
2 TBL dried onion flakes

Brown meat after dusting in flour. Remove from pan, place into casserole. Put juice from tomatoes & mushrooms in pan of meat drippings. Stir to thicken liquid. Pour over meat. Add tomatoes & mushrooms. cover & place in preheated 350° oven 1 hour. Add tarragon, basil, salt, pepper, celery, carrots, green pepper & onion flakes. Cover & continue cooking 1 1/2 hours or until vegetables are as tender as you like them. Can add more tomato juice.~~Winning Seasons

HEARTY BEEF STEW (serves 6)
2 lbs sirloin tips or stew beef
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb onions, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 TBL red wine vinegar
1 TBL brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 TBL chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
Pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups beef broth
12 oz can dark beer
Steamed baby carrots
Steamed new potatoes

Combine beef & flour in a sealable plastic bag, shaking until coated. Heat the oil in a skillet until hot. Add the beef in small batches. Cook until brown on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving the pan drippings.
Add the onions & garlic to the pan drippings. Cook until light brown, stirring frequently. Remove the onion mixture with a slotted spoon & mix with the beef. Stir in the parsley, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, bay leaf, thyme & pepper.
Deglaze the skillet with the broth. Pour over the beef mixture. Stir in the beer. Spoon into a greased baking dish. Bake, covered at 325° for 2 hours. Discard teh bay leaf. Serve over baby carrots & new potatoes.~~Texas Ties

I never cared for stew until I tried this recipe:
Chuckwagon Stew
2# beef chuck, cubed and trimmed
2T fat
4c water
1 med onion,minced
1T lemon juice
1clove garlic, minced
1-2 bay leaves
1T salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2c celery, sliced
6 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, chopped
Brown meat in hot fat; add water, onion, lemon juice and all seasonings. Cover and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally. Add vegetables; cook covered for 45 minutes until meat and vegetables are done.
Thicken with flour and water mixture.
8 servings.
RL`

I don't follow recipes when making stews. But here is the outline I wrote up another time when someone asked. I almost always add dumplings to beef and chicken stews.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Beef Stew
=========
I like simple beef stews that are more brothy then in a thick gravy. I don't have an exact recipe as I usually just wing it. Here is basically what I do.

Brown beef chunks in some oil. Add some chopped shallots and a minced garlic clove. Cover with beef broth, add a bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme and simmer for 45 minutes. Add some whole small onions peeled, celery cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and simmer for another 30 minutes and then add potatoes cut into large chunks, a couple of carrots cut into pieces, some fresh green beans, and some rutabaga cut into chunks. Simmer until vegetables are tender add some peas and then cook some dumplings on top. Serve in bowls. I find that beef used in stew takes at least 2 hours to become tender, depending on the size of the beef cubes and the cut of beef used.

Sometimes I add wedges of cabbage instead of turnip. You can also add other vegetables of your choice, ie. parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc..

Thanks for sharing your recipes. I'll be making stew tomorrow night along with scones. Ann, Your stew looks delicious.
Teri

I tried this beef stew lasr year, and we really liked it. The horseradish cream topping made it, IMHO.

* Exported from MasterCook *

The Ultimate Beef Stew Recipe

Recipe By :Tyler Florence
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil -- for frying, plus more to drizzle
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast (2 to 3) -- cut into 2-inch pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended:
Burgundy)
8 fresh thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves -- smashed
1 orange -- zest removed in 3 one-inch strips
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups beef stock
9 small new potatoes -- scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
1/2 pound carrots -- peeled and sliced
2 cups frozen pearl onions -- a large handful
1 pound white mushrooms -- cut in 1/2
1/2 pound garden peas frozen or fresh
Fresh flat-leaf parsley -- chopped, for garnish

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.
While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream. Right before serving add a slice of Toasted Peasant Bread, half way submerged in the stew.

Horseradish Sour Cream:
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chives, finely chopped, as garnish
Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

Toasted Peasant Bread:
1 loaf peasant bread, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, halved
Chopped parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Put a sheet pan in the oven so that it gets good and hot.

Place the bread slices on the hot sheet pan. Drizzle the bread with the extra-virgin olive oil bake for 5 minutes, until the bread is nicely toasted. Rub the bread slices with the garlic cloves, and discard garlic. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Source:
"www.foodtv.com"

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NOTES : Wonderful flavor. Next time, remove thyme stems, bay leaves and orange zest before adding the vegetables, otherwise it's too hard to find them. Used Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon instead of a burgundy.

Becky, I made your stew last night. What a coincidence. I had found your recipe on a previous post and had already decided to make it and then read where you posted the recipe again here. It turned out good. I like it both with or without the horseradish sour cream sauce. DH liked it too. I will make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Teri

Teri - I wish I could claim the creation of that stew :-) Glad you enjoyed it - when we finally get some cooler weather I'll be making it again too.

Becky