Retro Beef Stew

I found a great beef stew recipe in this vintage cookbook that was published in 1961, the Cutco Cook Book. I found the cookbook at a flea market for $1.00, so I couldn’t pass it up! I love the vintage illustrations in these old cookbooks and it’s always fun to try recipes from them!

I had been looking for a good recipe that included Worcestershire Sauce so I could use my complimentary bottle of Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce that I had received as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. I thought this stew would be a great thing to try, especially since winter is the perfect time to eat a hot bowl of stew! I changed the original recipe slightly, using canola oil instead of fat, and made a few other small changes. It’s a really good stew, so if you are wanting to make something hearty, you’ll have to try this. The cookbook says the recipe serves four, but I think it’s more like six–it makes a big potful of stew!

I made it in my cast iron Dutch Oven, but you can use whatever kind of pot with a lid that you like?just make sure it’s a large one!

RETRO BEEF STEW (adapted from the 1961 Cutco Cook Book)

1 3/4 pounds stew beef (or chuck or round beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks)
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2  to 2 cups boiling water (depending on how thick you want your stew)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (I used Lea & Perrins®)
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 (1-pound) bag of baby carrots that are peeled and ready to use?cut each baby carrot in half OR use 12 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas

If you are cutting your own chunks of meat, trim excess fat from meat first, then cut into chunks.

Combine four, pepper, and salt in a large ziploc bag; add chunks of meat; shake until pieces are coated.

Add canola oil to Dutch Oven over medium heat; add meat chunks and brown on all sides. Add diced onion and garlic, then boiling water, canned tomatoes, and Worcestershire Sauce. Stir well to combine ingredients.

Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots, and peas, and simmer for another hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Makes 4-6 servings.

Filed under: Cookbooks, Food and Recipes, Main Dishes, Seasonal, Soups, Stews, and Chili, Winter/Christmas Tagged: Carrot, Cutco 1961 Cook Book, Dutch oven, Garlic, Lea & Perrins, Onion, peas, recipe, Stew, vintage cookbook, Worcestershire Sauce