Beef Stew – As Seen on TV

 
Yes, I watch Doctor Oz.  He’s addictive.  Did you see the episode with Rachel Ray?  She made Autumn Beef Stew With Apple, Onion and Roasted Garlic.  It looked so good and so easy that I had to try it.  Of course, I made a few changes mostly because of the ingredients and local availability.  Also, my heart just wouldn’t let me make a beef stew without potatoes.  (Rachel Ray’s recipe calls for mashed potatoes on the side.)  So, I substituted the apples for potatoes. 
When I make this again, and I will be making it often, I’m going to make the chunks of beef and vegetables a little smaller.  I also won’t use quite as much butter.  As the stew cooked there was a large amount of grease that made it to the top.  I just skimmed it off every hour or so and the final dish wasn’t greasy at all.  I don’t have a Dutch oven, so I used a Crockpot.  It turned out just as well as it would have in the oven with the exception of an additional pan to wash. 
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Click here for Rachael Ray's Autumn Beef Stew With Apple, Onion and Roasted Garlic and here’s the version that I made.
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Simple Beef Stew
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2 bulbs garlic, roasted
Salt and pepper
4 slices of thick bacon cut in to small pieces
1 stick butter, divided
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Flour, for dredging plus 2 tablespoons
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 potatoes (about 2 and a half cups) peeled & cubed
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups cloudy organic apple juice
2 cans Campbell’s beef consommé
Herb bouquet, a few sprigs each parsley and sage tied together with kitchen string
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Combine and cook ingredients according to the original recipe – click here.  The exception is to use a Crockpot.  Combine all ingredients into your Crockpot (6 quart) and cook on high for 4 and 1/2 hours to 5 hours.  It turned out great in the Crockpot, but Santa could bring me a Dutch oven this year.  I’ve been good!