This recipe is close to my heart. My father passed away a few years ago, but he left behind some wonderful recipes. Some of those recipes will stay within our family only, but this one I don’t mind sharing. My dad used to make this stew when I was a kid and it was always my job to help. Sometimes he would let me chop the potatoes or test the veggies by munching on them as he worked. His original stew called for peas but my kids don’t like peas that much, so it was omitted. My dad would show his love and support of our family through his cooking. He suffered from a severe mental health disability, but when he was well he would cook the most elaborate and delicious meals. I managed to pick up on that culinary creativity and also show my love through my cooking. Now, I share that love with you! This recipe is part of my campfire cooking repertoire, a collection of recipes that I’ve tried and tested over a campfire. If you like campfire cooking, you should try this recipe!
Disclaimer: This post contains links to Amazon products that you will find useful for doing this recipe. I will obtain a small commission if you purchase through the links I provide.
Beef Stew Over A Fire
Ingredients:
- Stewing beef, 450 grams
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, butter, or whatever fat you have, 2 tbsp
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 medium sized potatoes, diced
- 1 tsp of dried rosemary
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- 4 cups of beef broth
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- cornstarch, 2 tbsp
- salt and pepper to taste
Step 1: Obtain a Dutch oven if you don’t already have one. Dutch ovens are a necessity for any campfire cooking. My Dutch oven is a basic Lodge (brand) Dutch oven that you can get in almost any department store. Amazon sells this one that is very similar.
Step 2: Gather and prepare ingredients. Here is what mine looked like. I forgot the rosemary and thyme so I used La Grille’s Garlic and Pepper seasoning instead, which worked out great.
Step 3: If you haven’t already, build a fire. This recipe requires you to have an open fire with a grate or something to hold the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven over the fire on direct heat and let it heat up, about 5 minutes. See photo below.
Step 4: Add the onion and sauté until soft, a few minutes.
Step 5: Add the rest of the mirepoix, the celery and carrots, and sauté for another few minutes.
Step 6: Add the stewing beef and seasoning, then sauté until the beef is browned.
Step 7: Add the garlic and let it cook for a few minutes, be careful not to burn the garlic
Step 8: Add the diced potatoes, then add the beef stock. Put the lid on and let it boil for 30 minutes.
Step 9: Once the stew has been bubbling for a half hour or so, test the potatoes for doneness. They should be soft. If they aren’t, let it boil for a few more minutes until the potatoes are finished.
Step 10: Add the cornstarch mixture. Make a slurry out of the cornstarch and about a 1/4 cup of cold/cool water. Add this to the stew and let it boil and thicken. If it doesn’t thicken, add a bit more cornstarch water to it.
Step 9: Take the Dutch oven off the heat and serve the stew with some buns or garlic bread toasted over the fire. Enjoy!