ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
1 14-oz. can beef broth
1 envelope beefy onion soup mix (such as Lipton)
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season stew meat with salt & pepper then add to skillet, stirring once or twice to sear as many sides of the cubes as possible, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2 ) In a medium-sized stock pot, combine beef broth, onion soup mix and 1/2 cup water then stir well. Add stew meat, stir and cook over LOW heat, covered, for 1-2 hours. Do not let the pot reach a full boil or the meat will get tough.
3 ) Add cornstarch to a small bowl then whisk in remaining 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Drizzle cornstarch liquid into pot, bring to a low simmer then cook, while stirring, for 1 minute or until broth has thickened into a gravy. Serve over white rice or egg noodles.
NOTES:
The gravy finishes a tiny bit on the salty side which is exactly how it should be when served with white rice or noodles. This isn’t a stew, it’s meant to be served over some sort of starch so I make it saltier than I would an actual stew that’s meant to be eaten on its own.
