Bob's Easy Beef Stew

Bob’s easy beef stew cuts the all-day simmer in half and still delivers the cozy bowl you’re chasing. Stewing beef browns with onions, then water and bay leaves go in while you peel potatoes and carrots. Everything cooks in one pot until fork-tender.

The trick to a glossy, body-thick stew without lumps is the slurry: cold water whisked with flour until smooth, then poured into the simmering pot while stirring. Adding flour directly to hot liquid turns it into pasty pellets you’ll never break up.

Brown the meat properly. Crowd the pan and you get gray, steamed beef instead of the deep brown crust that gives stew its real flavor.

Kitchen Tips

• Pat the beef dry before browning. Wet meat doesn’t brown, it steams.
• Cut potatoes and carrots into similar-sized chunks so they cook evenly.
• Add garlic when browning the meat and a pinch of oregano as the cook suggests. These quietly lift the whole stew.
• The canned peas go in last, only long enough to warm through. They’ll turn to mush if simmered.

Variations

• Swap water for beef broth and a splash of Worcestershire for deeper flavor.
• Toss in a cup of sliced mushrooms with the carrots for an earthier bowl.
• Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the onions for a richer, more rustic stew.