Basic beef stew with dumplings

Basic Stew Dumplings

These dumplings can be made with any stew. They’re shown here with a basic beef stew cooked in a pressure cooker that I posted last week.

This recipe was originally published as “Dumplings for Stews and Boiled Meats” in “The Basic Basics Pressure Cooker Cook Book” by Marguerite Patten in 1977.

Ingredients

100 gms or about 3 1/2 ounces of self raising flour. You can also use plain or all purpose flour with 1 teaspoon of baking powder added.

50gm or just under 2 oz of shredded suet, butter, or dairy free margarine.

Water

Method

Rub the suet or butter with the flour until it resembles a fine breadcrumbs.

Add just enough water to make a firm dough.

Break into pieces the size of a walnut and roll into balls.

If desired, add some extra stock or water to your stew. How much will depend on the number of dumplings you are making.

Place your stew on the stove and heat to a simmer.

Put the dumplings on top and place the lid on the saucepan.

Cook until the dumplings have risen and are cooked all the way through.

Beef stew with onion, carrot and turnips

Basic Beef Stew

This basic beef stew is a versatile recipe that can be cooked in a pressure cooker in no time at all, or in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid over several hours.

This recipe was originally published as “Stewed Steak” in “The Basic Basics Pressure Cooker Cook Book” by Marguerite Patten in 1977.

Ingredients

1 – 1/2 lbs or 500 – 750gms of stewing steak. You might know it as stewing beef. Gravy beef will also work well. Cut this into rough cubes, about an inch square.

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 medium sized onions, chopped

2 turnips, peeled and diced

40 gm or about 1 1/4 oz of dripping or other fat. I used vegetable shortening in the video.

420 ml or 14 1/2 fluid oz of beef stock. You’ll need an extra cup if cooking in a regular saucepan.

Your choice of herbs and spices.  Click here for great chart that shows you which spices goes with your choice of meat.

25 gm or 1 oz of plain or all purpose flour.

Method

Heat the fat in your pressure cooker or saucepan.

Lightly cook the onion for a minute or so.

If cooking in a regular saucepan, coat your meat with the flour. Don’t do this if you’re using a pressure cooker

Add the meat and brown quickly.

Add the stock. If using a pressure cooker keep a few tablespoonfuls aside to mix with your flour.

Add the vegetables and seasonings and stir.

Put the lid on and cook on a low heat on the stove-top for 2 – 2 1/2 hours if using a regular saucepan and serve when done.

If using a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and cook for 15 minutes if you have a 15 lb pressure cooker. Cook for 20 minutes if you have a 10 lb pressure cooker.

When cooked, reduce the pressure quickly by putting in a sink of cold water.

Mix the remaining stock with your flour. Put the open cooker back on the stove, add the flour/water mix and stir over a gentle heat until thickened.

This is a very tasty stew that you can change to suit whatever you have handy at the time.