Homemade Oven Baked Beef Stew

1 1/2 Lbs. Lean Beef Stew Meat
1 large onion chopped coarsely
2-3 stalks of celery chopped into 1 inch pieces
Garlic 1 clove
5 Carrots sliced into 1 inch pieces
5 Medium Potatoes cut into 1-2 inch chunks
Paprika, Salt and Pepper
Oil for browning
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 Bay Leaf
Pinch of dried parsley or 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley 
1 teaspoon dried thyme.
Oil for browning beef and making gravy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Wash and dry your beef.

2.  Put oil of your choice to brown beef in a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
If you can use the dish you are going to be baking stew in on top of your stove then use that.  It would work better because all of the pan browned goodness would remain in dish.

3.  Heat oil until hot.
 
4.  Place small amounts of beef in pan to brown over medium to medium high heat.  Add paprika pinch of salt and cracked pepper. Brown all sides.

5.  Remove and add small amounts until all beef is browned. *Also add little oil as needed.
You should have a very pretty browned glaze on the bottom of your pan.   

6.  Cook chopped onion for a short while until clear.

7.  Have beef broth or at the sink hot water running.  I use a 44oz plastic cup from a fast food place for my gravy. Sometimes I use it all, sometimes not. I rarely need more water than that.  We love lots of gravy so you will decide what you need. It will cook down in the oven.

8.  Add more oil if needed to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat until hot.  Add the flour 3/4 teaspoon salt and crack some fresh pepper in this. Stirring constantly over medium to medium high heat.  This will remove any lumps and prevent burning.  *You are making your roux or gravy as I call it.  *Don't walk away* Stir until browned to your liking, being careful not to Burn.

9.  Stir in a little broth or water at a time stirring constantly.  Make the gravy a little thinner than you would like normally.  It will thicken up in the oven with cooking.  Continue cooking to give gravy a good not floury taste.

10.  Place browned beef , gravy, chopped onions, garlic, bay leaf & thyme into baking dish. Cover.

11.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until you can at least stick a fork into beef.  It will still be tough but the fork can be pushed into it.

12.  Add the carrots, potatoes and celery to pan.  Cover and cook an additional hour.  You may check after 30 minutes or so to see if beef and vegetables are fork tender.
 Another Optional ingredient:  frozen peas added after you turn off beef...5 minutes should heat them through.

When beef and vegetables are tender your stew is ready.  Add bread and your meal is done.  What an easy way to get an entire warm meal ready while you do other things around the house.  Great for this time of year.

I have to confess that today I cooked mine in a hurry turning my oven up to 400 degrees.  It does cook with such brownness and I love that. Your gravy will cook down but that is alright because it will be so tasty.

If you already make your own homemade gravy then you don't need all of the instructions because I know it must be good.  If you have never attempted to make your own gravy it is one of the simplest things to do so try your hand at it.  You don't always have to have a can of mushroom soup and a box of dry onion soup mix although it is very good... there are other choices.

To see more pictures that show the steps to cooking this recipe:
 take a short trip over to the main blog
Hibiscus House for post:  Cooking to Stay Warm

Enjoy your meal and your day!

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