Now this is a hearty stew! I have never made stew until attempting this recipe...It was a family hit, even with my picky daughter who claims not to like vegetables had two servings! I tweaked the recipe a bit to satisfy everyone in the family. I added quartered white potatoes, sliced fresh mushrooms and carrots. I only used 1.5 stalks of celery because most of the family is not fond of the taste. I omitted the salt, bay leaves and cloves and used a pouch of Bovril beef bouillion mix for more flavor. I also added a little thyme, onion and garlic powder. The beef was tender and tasty,the vegetables and potatoes were cooked perfectly, and the broth was rich and savory, not watery and soup-like. I saw that other recipes required cornstarch to thicken the broth towards the end of cooking time, but this recipe produced a stew of excellent consistency. I would have taken a picture but this dish didn't last long enough.

Reviewed On: Oct. 25, 2008