Cowboy Stew
What we have here is another simple case of dump, cover & cook. But trust me, there is nothing “simple” about the flavors of this stew. I tapped into my inner cowboy ((well — girl, hah)) to imagine what exactly a Cowboy Stew entails.
For starters, let’s just be clear – there are NO tails in this stew. ((gag))
Second, based on my tragic horse-riding past, I am fairly certain there actually is no inner cowboy for me. Poor horse, he was being ((gently)) whacked on the rear while his rider ((me)) screamed “WHOA!”, goosed his sides with the heels of my rainbow sparkle tennies AND pulled back on the reigns. He didn’t know if he was coming or going, literally.
I think I will just stick to cooking and eating. Now that we have established I am NO cowboy, let’s move on to what I imagine cowboys like to eat. Hearty, has the capacity to be cooked over the open fire, sticks to your ribs, tastes good enough for the Chuck Wagon Cook to not get left behind on the trail ((or worse)), a little sweet – a little more spicy & does NOT attract coyotes.
I don’t know if this passes the coyote test, but I believe all other requirements can be checked off!
The flavors for this stew come from a shortlist of ingredients that I am guessing you already have one hand:
- spicy mustard ((I actually used a sweet & spicy mustard. If you don’t have access to that, just use your favorite spicy mustard & a teaspoon of brown sugar.))
- HOT BBQ sauce ((depending on the tastebuds of your cowboys, original & spicy BBQ are interchangeable.))
- roasted peppers ((either homemade or canned))
In addition to the above ingredients, I added:
- a handful of chopped fresh parsley
- 3-4 chopped green onions
- ½ a red onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- baby carrots
- new potatoes
- 3 lbs sirloin roast, cut into 2″ chunks
- s & p ((because nothing will get you thrown off the trail faster than leaving out the s & p!))
- a large can of crushed tomatoes
- a spoonful of beef stock paste
- a 14 oz can of Rotel
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- water ((enough to cover the meat))
5 hours later – the most flavorful stew you can imagine is done simmering away in a 250° oven & ready to be served to your hungry crew!
I will be taking this recipe along on our next campout for sure – as I tap into my inner Chuck Wagon Cook!
- 3 lbs sirloin roast, cut into 2" chunks ((can be thawed or frozen))
- ½ c ((4 oz)) roasted peppers, diced
- a handful of chopped fresh parsley
- 3-4 chopped green onions
- ½ a red onion, roughly chopped
- 2-3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 c baby carrots
- 10-12 new potatoes ((golf ball sized))
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 14 oz can Rotel ((mild or regular))
- 2 T cornstarch
- 1 T beef bouillon paste
- ½ c BBQ sauce ((I used spicy))
- 2 T hot & sweet mustard ((or your favorite Dijon & 1 t brown sugar))
- 1 t salt
- ½ t black pepper
- water, 4-6 c
- Preheat oven to 250°. Place all ingredients into a 7-8 qt covered dutch oven, adding water to just cover the beef. Stir to combine, making a point to incorporate the cornstarch. Cover and place into a preheated 250° oven for 5-6 hours. When cooking time is complete, taste & add any additional s & p as needed.
- Serves 10
