Sheila Copps' Unity Stew

This hearty beef stew gets the full comfort treatment with a blanket of golden, homemade biscuits baked right on top. The stew itself is straightforward: chunks of stewing beef simmered until tender with carrots, celery, onion, and fresh tomatoes in a simple, clean broth.

The biscuit topping is where this goes from regular stew to something special. Cut shortening into flour and baking powder, stir in milk, and you’ve got a quick dough that bakes into fluffy, golden rounds that soak up the stew juices from below while staying crisp on top.

Cook the beef until it’s almost tender before adding the vegetables. The meat needs more time than the veggies, and adding everything at once leaves you with mushy carrots and tough beef.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut the shortening into pea-sized pieces, no smaller. Those little fat pockets create steam in the oven and make the biscuits rise tall and flaky.
• Place the biscuits close together on top of the stew so they support each other as they rise. Gaps let steam escape and the biscuits can tip over.
• The stew should be bubbling hot when it goes into the baking dish. Hot stew starts cooking the biscuit bottoms immediately from below.

Variations

• Add a handful of frozen peas to the stew in the last few minutes of simmering for extra color and sweetness.
• Stir a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce into the broth for deeper savory flavor.
• Brush the biscuit tops with melted butter before baking for a richer, golden-brown crust.