Beef Stew.

Two pounds of beef (the round, flank, or any cheap part; if there is
bone in it, two and a half pounds will be required), one onion, two
slices of carrot, two of turnip, two potatoes, three table-spoonfuls
of flour, salt, pepper, and a generous quart of water. Cut all the fat
from the meat, and put it in a stew-pan; fry gently for ten or fifteen
minutes. In the meantime cut the meat in small pieces, and season well
with salt and pepper, and then sprinkle over it two table-spoonfuls of
flour. Cut the vegetables in very small pieces, and put in the pot
with the fat. Fry them five minutes, stirring well, to prevent
burning. Now put in the meat, and move it about in the pot until it
begins to brown; then add the quart of boiling water. Cover; let it
boil up once, skim, and set back, where it will just bubble, for two
and a half hours. Add the potatoes, cut in thin slices, and one table-
spoonful of flour, which mix smooth with half a cupful of cold water,
pouring about one-third of the water on the flour at first, and adding
the rest when perfectly smooth. Taste to see if the stew is seasoned
enough, and if it is not, add more salt and pepper. Let the stew come
to a boil again, and cook ten minutes; then add dumplings. Cover
tightly, and boil rapidly ten minutes longer.

Mutton, lamb or veal can be cooked in this manner. When veal is used,
fry out two slices of pork, as there will not be much fat on the meat.
Lamb and mutton must have some of the fat put aside, as there is so
much on these meats that they are otherwise very gross.


Irish Stew.