Gluten Free Steak Stew

Since it's Groundhog's Day, I figured we could do a recipe that's been done over and over again. There are about as many stew recipes out there as there are cable channels, so I'm sure me coming up with a stew recipe isn't going to win me any medals. However, as a kid who grew up on stew and loved the way my mom made it but couldn't ever get the recipe quite right myself, the fact that I made stew that I wanted to eat is, in and of itself, a triumph. The fact that it's gluten free just makes it that much better. I've made Ina Garten's Beef Stew a few times and it was okay, but not like I used to have as a kid. I think it has too much wine flavor or something. Not bad, just not my favorite. So one night I was playing mad scientist in the kitchen and this is what I came up with. There was a lesson learned with this recipe: Brussels Sprouts are best left out of stews. I know, you are all laughing your guts out after reading that. I really love sauteed brussels sprouts, I saw some at the store, they made it into the stew, and they were thrown away. There. Nothing like an internet confession to get the blood pumping early in the morning. Also, I used a delmonico steak to make this stew, and I've gotta say, it was not too shabby. I love steak in all forms, so it made sense to me to use a cut of meat I really liked in my stew. If you love stew meat, go for it. It will work just as well in this recipe.

Gluten Free Steak Stew

1 large steak or 1 pound of stew meat, cubed

1/4 cup Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten Free Flour

4 T canola oil

1/2 chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 clove minced garlic

2 sliced mushrooms

4 peeled and diced potatoes

salt and pepper

1/4 cup Marsala wine

2 T Better Than Boullion Beef flavor

1 1/2 cups water

2 t Worcestershire sauce

4 T tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large dutch oven heat oil to medium heat. Dredge meat in flour and brown on all sides in batches in oil. Set flour aside, as we will add it back in at the end of cooking. (If your meat is very lean, you will need to add more oil.) Remove meat from pan. Add onion, and sweat for two minutes in oil. add carrots, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes. *NOT brussels sprouts* Cook for 3 minutes to soften, adding more oil if needed. Add the meat and a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the wine, Better than Boullion, water, Worcestershire, tomato paste and bay leaf and mix well. Sprinkle the rest of the Grandpa's Kitchen flour over the mixture and stir well. (This helps create the gravy.) Place lid on the dutch oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Serve piping hot with 1 2 3 Gluten Free biscuits.

Happy eating!