Beef Stew

I like to cook a stew on cold days. It's currently -12, so I think that qualifies. I find that the supermarket charges way too much for stewing beef, considering what a tough cut of beef it is. I use steak, cut into cubes. In this case, I used striploin grilling steak.

I browned the beef in about 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot, we call it a dutch oven. I set aside 3 tbsp flour mixed with 1 tbsp of beef soup base to use as a roux (equal parts of fat and flour). I also added 1 tsp garlic powder. After the meat is browned and the flour mixture added, I poured in 2 cups of water, then another 2 cups water.

(Usually, I add a chopped onion to the browned beef, but today I picked up some dry shallots, so I used 2 of those.)

I brought it to a boil, then reduced it to simmer, and added 2 bay leaves to bring out the flavor.

Meanwhile, I peeled and chopped 1 large carrot and 3 medium sized potatoes, placed them on to partially boil. When they are cooked el dente (to the teeth, still crunchy), I'll add them to the stew pot and simmer until it's all tender.