A family beef stew with dumplings recipe. Tender chunks of beef simmer for hours in a rich gravy with carrots and potatoes — topped with homemade dumplings.
Preparation Time
30 mins
Cooking Time
3 hr 10 mins
Total Time
3 hr 40 mins
Calories
515 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Stir in carrots and turnip, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in potatoes, cover, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Step 2
Pour reserved gravy back over the dumplings, stir lightly, and serve.
Step 3
To prepare beef stew: Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Add beef and onion. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon steak seasoning. Stir beef and onions well and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon steak seasoning. Add celery; cook and stir until beef is browned, about 10 minutes.
Step 4
Pour in 2 cups water, or as needed to just cover beef and vegetables. Bring to a boil and stir and scrape browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours.
Step 5
Remove beef and celery pieces from the pan. Set beef aside and discard celery.
Step 6
Whisk gravy mix with 4 cups water in a bowl. Add gravy mixture to the juices in the pot, bring to a boil, and stir beef back into the gravy mixture.
Step 7
To make the dumplings: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture looks crumbly. Pour in milk and lightly stir the mixture just until it combines to form a dough.
Step 8
Remove 2 cups of gravy from the pot and reserve. Drop dumplings by heaping tablespoon onto the beef and vegetables in the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (do not peek until the time is up).
Ingredients
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons shortening
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
7 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons steak seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning®), divided
