Easy Beef Stew

In large, heavy skillet, heat butter or margarine. (I use a heavy aluminum stockpot for the entire dish, just because it’s convenient and saves cleanup!) Cut meat into bite-size pieces. If desired, pound the pieces with a meat mallet to help tenderize the meat, but it’s not really necessary. I’ve used round steak or chuck tender roasts for this and they tenderize just fine during cooking.

Toss the meat into the hot skillet and brown it on all sides. Slice onions, mushrooms, and celery, then toss them into the skillet on top of the meat and saute on medium to high while you get everything else ready for the pot. (At this point, move everything to the crockpot if you intend to cook this in the slow cooker.)

Add carrots and tomatoes, including the liquid from the can, to the pot. (Add potatoes now if you’re cooking this in the slow cooker, but if cooking on the stovetop, add potatoes during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.) Pour in enough water until the mixture is as soupy as you like. Add bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. (My measuring method is to sprinkle the seasonings across the top of the stew until the surface is covered, so the spice measurements are approximate!)

Simmer on low-medium heat until meat is at desired tenderness and carrots are done. This takes about 90 minutes on the stovetop or 4-6 hours in the slow cooker on low.