Chunky Maple Beef Stew

The Official Vermont Maple Cookbook, p. 16

¼ cup of flour

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 stalk chopped celery

1 ½ pounds beef, but into ½ inch cubes

1 19 ounce can tomatoes

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup pure maple syrup

4 medium sized potatoes, cubed

2 large carrots, sliced diagonally

It took a while to cut up the roast but none of the packages of pre-cut stew meat at Save a Lot were the right size.

Preheat oven to 325F. Combine flour, beef and seasonings, in a plastic bag, and shake to coat the beef. Place in a casserole dish and add remaining ingredients. Pour in ½ cup water. Cover and bake for 4 hours. Recipe may be adapted for pressure cooking use method and timing for beef stew. 

This, you may notice, is an Instant Pot. I did not have four hours at my disposal to make this happen.

Serve with homemade bread and a green salad.

...or with some store-bought cornbread and no salad. 

My Rating: 4/5 "The maple is subtle, but it still adds a fun, unusual spin to this stew. My perennial complaint about stews with potatoes in them is that they don't keep well - the potatoes get all mushy. But if you have a crowd, this would be a tasty way to feed them."