When I was younger, my mom used to make oxtail soup and it was sooo good. It was one of my favorites! But if you’ve ever worked with oxtails, you know they can be a lot of work. I think I was in college when she started using stew meat instead which was a lot less work. She shared the recipe with me and over the years, I’ve come up with a version that I’m in love with. I will say, nothing beats the flavor of oxtails but on a cold fall or winter day, this low fuss stew is perfect!
The way that I’ve made this recipe work for me, you can too. You can use whatever veggies you want and you can use whatever amount you want. The original recipe has about 5 more vegetables than I do, but I like mine simple. 😊 I also use corn meal instead of tomato paste to thicken the stew. I promise it doesn’t make it gritty. It has 3 hours to soften 😉
Beef Stew
- 1 ½ lbs Stew Meat
- 1 Medium Onion
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- 2 tablespoons Corn Meal
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 15 oz Tomato Sauce
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 2 Whole Carrots (chopped)
- 2 cups Green Beans
- 1 cup Corn
Heat a large pot to medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and add your stew meat. Season with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Add your cocoa powder and onion. Stir until evenly coated.
Add your beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and corn meal. Bring to a bowl then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.
Add your carrots, green beans, and corn (or other choice of vegetables) and simmer for another hour, or until your meat is tender and your veggies are soft.
You can use, fresh, frozen, or canned veggies.