Jan 21, 2013
I used a little over 2 pounds of stew meat, and I cut back the mushrooms to 1/2 pound. Other than these changes, I used the ingredients suggested by the recipe author. My stew meat was tender after 3 hours on the stove top. I can't imagine that a better cut of meat would hold together for 6 hours in the pot, and the vegetables would be nearly dissolved if cooked that long. This makes a generous amount of stew, and I had to use a 6 quart dutch oven, since I do not have a skillet large enough to accommodate this. The stew as written nearly filled my pot. The stew liquid is well-flavored, though thin (I prefer a thicker, sauce consistency for stew), and not too strongly flavored with tomato. I only have one other tiny criticism. Herb leaves turn dark and unattractive in tomato based sauces. I think it would be more appetizing to tie them up in cheesecloth and remove before serving. I can well imagine this as a soup, if everything is cut into bite-sized pieces. If you wish to make soup, I would recommend adding the carrots, mushrooms and potatoes later in the process, so the smaller pieces will not cook too long. Overall, I give the recipe four stars, both for the flavor and for the directions.
—Bibi
