Video:How to Make College Student Crockpot Beef Stew

Transcript:How to Make College Student Crockpot Beef Stew

Hi, my name is Philip Eskridge and I’m here for About.com. Today, we’re making college beef stew crockpot, using a recipe from About.com’s Southern Food site.

The crockpot is the way to go if you’re tired of fast food, or dorm food, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time slaving over a hot stove. Basically, you do a little prep work, and the crockpot cooks the meal for you. Okay, here’s what you need to make the crockpot beef stew.

Ingredients for Crockpot Beef Stew

• 3/4 pound of cubed beef, buy the cheap stuff, it’s called beef chuck. It’s already cubed, the price is right and the crockpot will take out any toughness in the meat.
• ½ cup of carrots – you can used canned or fresh.
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, quartered
• 8 cups of beef stock or broth - you can buy boullion cubes and add hot water or use stock you buy in the supermarket.
• Seasoning – salt and pepper, I like to use fennel, but if you don’t cook much you may not want to invest in fennel. But that’s okay, the beef stock has a lot of flavor, and you can use any spices that you like.
• Flour, to coat the beef.

Cook the Beef

Now, here’s a little bit of actual cooking you have to do but don’t worry, it’s not too difficult. It’s best to use a heavy pot or pan like this, a dutch oven, if you have one. It cooks evenly and you don’t have to use any oil. Over a medium heat, you want to cook the beef cubes until they’re brown on the outside. Stir it a bit so it doesn’t stick too much to the pot. But don’t worry if it does, we’ll handle that in a minute.

Add Stock and Other Ingredients

Once the beef is brown on all sides, add some stock to deglaze the pot – which means you’re scraping the bits off the bottom which will add texture and flavor to the stew. Pour it into the crockpot. Add the other ingredients…set the crockpot to low, and you’re done!

Cooking the Crockpot Beef Stew

Let it cook the whole day – 8 or 10 hours – whatever works in your schedule. When you’re ready to eat, you’ve got a hot meal waiting for you. It’s really good! So with a little practice and preparation, you too can make a beef stew crockpot in your own kitchen. This has been Philip for About.com.