Farmer Boy Recipe - Beef Stew

Here's another one of those multi-generational recipes from my family collection. 
Come a cold winter's day, it's time to pull this out!   Nothing seems to warm you the way homemade stew can do!  And it's so easy to make it!

Farmer Boy Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat (cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 large onion (sliced on an angle, to make wedges)
• 1 green pepper (cut into 1 inch strips)
• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons - bacon drippings
• 2 Tablespoons - butter
• a dash of "What's-this-here-sauce" (Worcestershire sauce:)
•  1 dozen new potatoes (quartered - pare, if you like)
• 6 carrots (sliced into 1/4 inch coins)
• 1 medium turnip (diced)
• 1 parsnip (sliced into 1/4 inch coins)
• 4 ribs - celery (sliced into 1/2 inch slices)
• 1 Cup beef stock or broth (you can make with bouillon cubes - but it gets salty!)

Directions: In a large stew pot (enough to hold 5 -6 qts.) *(Or you could use a crockpot.) , braise the meat and saute the onions, peppers and celery in the bacon drippings and butter.  When the onions and peppers are softened, mix in the flour.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cover with water.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then turn it down to simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.                  

It practically makes itself - producing a nice thick sauce - but if you want a thicker sauce; you can mix a couple Tablespoons of corn starch or flour with 1/2 cup of water and stir it into the pot, bringing it to boiling at the end.

It can be served over a slice of bread or biscuits.  Since I'm cooking just for myself, I freeze the left-overs to bring out on another winter day - it heats up good in the microwave!

Old Spanish Proverb - "Eating and reading should both be done slowly."

If you make this meal, please let us all know, by leaving a comment here.  Thanks.  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls