click on image to take you to the source: The Sweets Life
(Review by Denise)
This is totally a cheater’s review. I didn’t even make this! But wait, before you run off…. I did eat it. I watched a bit of it being made. And I smelled it cooking all day. You see we visited some friends in another state over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and I offered to make this recipe for the blog and split the grocery bill. I should’ve known! My sneaky friend wouldn’t let me fork over a dime and she pretty much did all the cooking before I even had my first cup of coffee. (Thanks, Caralee!) Luckily the Pinterest recipe grades I hand out are based on taste alone.
St. Patrick’s Day at Caralee’s abode was the perfect day for stew: cold and rainy! Her man had a fire going in the fireplace, and that classic, rich stew scent paired with the scent of the beer really whet my appetite. Caralee even made an Irish soda bread and two loaves of wheat to go with it. (She’s like that. She makes bread on a whim.) I was pretty surprised that the Guinness scent never diminished during the cooking process. It had me concerned that maybe the alcohol didn’t cook off (which would taste pretty weird)–but nope.
Verdict? Pass. But hear this: it was a mild pass. On a rainy, cold day paired with warm, homemade bread–it hit the spot. But there was consensus that it needed more flavor. I just said, “It tastes like any Irish food I’ve ever had: warm, filling, and hardly any flavor.” If you like stew, are feeling particularly cold, or possibly work in a coal mine or other classic career that demands a meat-and-potatoes dinner…head on over to The Sweets Life and check out the recipe here.
Awesome review. Hit the nail on the head
Customize as you wish Slow Cooker Beef Stew 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes1/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 ooaspten salt1/2 ooaspten ground black pepper1 clove garlic, minced1 bay leaf1 ooaspten paprika1 ooaspten Worcestershire sauce1 onion, chopped1 1/2 cups beef broth3 potatoes, diced4 carrots, sliced1 stalk celery, chopped Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SUPERB beef stew! I took the great base recipe, and tweaked it with a compilation of reviewer recommendations. The end result is a winner, to be sure. Here is what I did (and I won’t change a thing the next time I make it): 1. Increase flour to 1/3 cup and substitute seasoned salt for regular salt. Put flour mixture into gallon-sized, zippered bag. Shake beef in bag to coat. Saute9 coated beef in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until browned. Add chopped onion to beef to saute9 and soften. Transfer to slow cooker. 2. Mix beef broth (I used Swanson’s Certified Organic in aseptic carton) with 1 TABLEspoon Worcestershire and bd cup red wine. Pour into hot skillet to deglaze, then pour over beef and onions in cooker. 3. Add remaining ingredients with these additions: increase garlic to 2 cloves minced, 2 bay leaves; add 1 packet McCormick’s Beef Stew Seasoning. Your home will smell wonderful all day, and your meal will be a savory feast! I served the stew in bowls, accompanied by slices of fresh, crusty bread.