For the Beef Stew
Directions:
I have all the ingredients cut and laid out on plates ready for the cook.
I heat up my trusty Dutch oven.
Put the cubes in a bowl and toss with the flour and paprika. The paprika aids in browning
together with the flour and beef produces an awesome caramelized flavor to the beef.
reserve the left over flour and paprika mix in case you want to thicken the stew at the end.
Heat up the oil in the Dutch oven on medium and add part of the beef. Don't crowd the
beef or it won't brown properly. I brown a bit at a time and spoon it into a bowl and
then brown the rest. The paprika gives a beautiful reddish brown color. Also it will color
the sauce and make it look nice.
Next I add the stock, the beer and the onions and leeks.
The Bay leaf, peppercorns, caraway seeds, and the another tablespoon of paprika.
Believe it or not the peppercorns will get fairly tender and mellow in heat.
I enjoy biting into one and get a pungent rush of pepper flavor.
If you want to add a few teaspoons of ground pepper instead that is fine as well.
I browned the bacon in another pan then add to the pot.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour.
Next I add the carrots, celery and turnips. I waited to add these because I don't want
them to turn to mush. Cook for about 30 - 45 minutes till the vegetables and meat
are tender.
I took the beef out for a check after 30 minutes. It isn't fork tender yet , but close so this is where
I added the rest of the vegetables.
Here is my finished stew. I added just a bit more paprika to the gravy to suit my taste. It also gives it a nice reddish brown color.
I thickened the stew with a mix of water and some of the flour- paprika mix that was left over from
breading the beef cubes. Pour it in a little of the mix at a time while the stew is simmering stirring constantly until it thickens. Be careful not to over thicken it. Just a little to give it body is perfect.
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For the Potato Cheese Knoephla
Gather your ingredients for the filling, mashed potatoes, egg, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and onions. You can be creative here and add different cheeses and seasonings. I used what I had on hand. |
Mix all the ingredients for the potato Cheese Filling |
Put the flour and baking powder in the bowl and make a well. Cut the butter into slices unless it is soft. |
Work the butter into the dough with your fingers till it is pebbly. |
Add the egg or water and work it into a dough. Don't over work or knead it, but get it so it stays together. |
Cut the dough into circles, or you could do Squares. I made 8 circles and had one left over. I want to make 1 big one for 4 people. |
I rolled these out a little further. |
Put a good 3 to 4 tablespoons of potato filling on half of the circles.
Put the other circle on top and crimp with a fork.
Simmer the Knoephla in boiling water for about 20 minutes.
Serve with the stew.
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