Stew Meat & Mushroom Gravy Dinner

Stew meat (1-2 inch chunks of tough beef) is one of my favorite cuts of meat. Crazy that I just called a tough cut a favorite? Well, it's all about how you cook it. Or should I say, how LONG you cook it! When I cook stew meat, I usually make my mom's BBQ stew meat recipe. Last night I wanted to try something different, though. Here was my experiment:

Stew Meat & Mushroom Gravy Dinner

Source: Amy Pugsley

Add the following ingredients to crock pot:

1 lb thawed beef stew meat

~ 3 cups water

2 cubes beef bouillon

1 T dried onion

1/2 t dried minced garlic

1/2 t basil

1/4 t celery salt

Salt and pepper

Turn crock pot to high and allow to cook for 7-8 hours. Yes! 7-8 hours! Don't try to cheat and eat sooner. You will be chewing incredibly tough meat and won't be happy. About half way through cooking time, add one small can drained mushrooms.

Unfortunately, this is one crockpot meal that really needs to be watched. The water may begin run out - if this happens, add a few more cups. Continue checking moisture level every hour or so - if the water dries up, meat will be dried out AND tough. Hello jerky! The meat is ready to eat when it begins falling apart on its own and starts turning a pinkish color on the inside.

Five to ten minutes before serving, whisk 1-2 T flour with 1-2 T cold water in a small bowl. Add hot drippings from crock pot and whisk well. Pour flour mixture into crockpot and mix well. Liquid will thicken into gravy. Serve meat and mushroom gravy over noodles, rice or potatoes.

* Flint got seconds and said I could make this again. Success!