Vintage Eats Recipe:  1970 Beef Stew and Dumplings

Another cool day in the Midwest (frost warnings!) had me hunting for a warm meat dish recipe. Upon finding a package of stew meat in the freezer, I thawed it and used it for this recipe for Beef Stew and Dumplings.

I can’t deny it was a bit of babysitting for this recipe (3 hours), but the results were worth it! The meat simmered with water and a few herbs and spices made its own gravy.

These dumplings broken up to soak up stew juices were soft and yummy. I’m not much of a dumpling eater, but these were more like biscuits rather than the doughy mounds I grew up with always served with chicken and noodles. They always tasted too plain for me to enjoy. Sorry, Mom and Grandma!

I have never steamed dumplings in a crockpot but surely they would cook the same as in a pot with a lid on the stove. Right?

The recipe comes from the Pillsbury Meat Cook Book, Pillsbury Publications (1970). It is a hardback with 144 pages filled with meat recipes and menu ideas for all occasions. There are even sections for cooking meat with wine, choosing a meat thermometer, and carving sets.

The book provides these comments at the top of the recipe to entice you to go for it:

“A savory mixture made on the top of the range. Currants in the dumplings give them a unique flavoring. Start three hours in advance and let it simmer and steep. Serve with a crisp salad.”

However, next time (there will be a next time), I’ll experiment and try to convert this recipe for the crockpot. I’ll brown the meat in a pan on the stove before placing it and the vegetables in my large crockpot to cook for three hours or until everything is tender.

I tend to trust recipes from companies like Pillsbury and was not disappointed with this one. Give it a try and see if you’re not pleased as well!

My Notes:

1. After 30 minutes of simmering on the stove, some pieces of meat stuck to the bottom of the pot so I added a fifth cup of water. It was quickly absorbed and kept the meat from sticking during the remaining cooking time.
2. The recipe ingredients mention salt and pepper only once, while the directions call for it twice. I added an additional ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper for the second amount.
3. With only three potatoes on hand, I supplemented the vegetables with 1 cup of diced celery.
4. I definitely recommend a Dutch oven for this recipe. My largest frying pan would have not been big enough for this amount.
5. I did not add currants — I’ve never even purchased currants. I think they’re like raisins.
6. My package of frozen peas was 12 ounces, rather than 10 as the recipe calls for – this worked out well.
7. I used the timer on my phone to remind me when to check the pot each time. Thank goodness for that feature as I use it for cookies and other recipes.

**

Beef Stew and Dumplings

2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil

4 cups water (I added an additional cup during the cooking process)

2 onions, sliced

1 bay leaf

6 carrots, cut into 1-in strips

6 potatoes, cut into quarters

1.5 cup (10-ounce package) frozen peas

Dumplings:

1.5 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup currants, if desired

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon minced onion

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and pepper.

Coat meat with flour mixture.

Brown meat in oil in Dutch oven or large fry pan.

Stir in water, sliced onion, bay leaf, salt and paprika.

Cover and let simmer for 90 minutes to two hours until meat is tender.

Remove bay leaf.

Add carrots and potatoes.

Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are almost tender.

Add peas.

Mix dumplings:

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and currant in mixing bowl.

Add egg, milk, oil, and onion.

Mix only until moist.

Drop 8-10 tablespoons of dumpling mix on top of stew; cover.

Steam 12-15 minutes until dumplings are done in center– do not remove cover during steaming!

Yield: 8-10 servings