What better way to celebrate a Super Bowl Day of football than by making the Paul Hornung Beef Stew. He was the Packers "Golden Boy" in the 1960's, a real celebrity. And, what a wonderful way to honor him than.
This is a special stew that deserves to be served as a complete meal and the focal point at any Super Bowl Day Party. Honoring a special Packers Player, it’s a hearty stew that is attributed to Paul Hornung, a famous Packer player from the 1960’s. I remember Paul Hornung from my childhood years as he played on Packers teams that won four NFL titles and won the very first Super Bowl under the leadership of the great Coach Vince Lombardi. What a time to learn about and watch football, especially the Packers!
I do not know who actually developed this stew, but it showed up online with his name on it. Whoever created it, it's delicious enough to try.
This is comfort food at its height, so it makes for a warm meal on a cold February Super Bowl Day or for any cold day. The bread bowl makes a heart dipper whether you spread butter on it or dip it like it is.
Serve this recipe to a smaller crowd or double-triple the recipe for a large bunch of friends on Super Bowl Day. Mix the bite sized stew meat with flour and your favorite herbs and spices. Then sauté it right in your stew pan or Dutch oven. Sauté the veggies in the drippings from the meat with a little added oil. Add the thickener, broth, etc. Let it simmer on the stove top.
Another option is to let it cook in the Dutch oven pan in your oven at 325 for an hour or so. The stew is yummy done when the meat is tender and the flavors have deliciously melded together.
This recipe serves 4 people as a main dish. Or, 6-8 sides:
Double it or triple it for larger groups.
Prep your pan:
I like to make this in my 3-quart covered Dutch oven on top of the stove. It’s just the right size for this recipe and gives me plenty of room to add more veggies and water or beef broth if I want. I use my 5-quart Dutch oven for doubling or tripling the recipe. Either way, when I slow cook it, there’s plenty of room for it to do a light simmer without it spilling out over onto the store.
Gather up the Ingredients:
1 LB. Stew (beef) meat, bite sized
2 T Flour
1-3 t of your favorite herbs
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, small, cleaned, diced
2 Stalks Celery, cleaned, sliced
2 T Sweet Vermouth (optional)
2 T Bourbon or Brandy (optional)
2 Potatoes, cleaned, diced
3 Carrots, cleaned, sliced
1 C Peas, fresh or frozen
1 C Corn, fresh or frozen
1 C Tomatoes, crushed, fresh or canned (optional)
1 T Sugar
3 C Water, divided
1 Beef Bouillon cube, smashed
Pinch of Dill weed, dried or fresh (optional)
Mix, sauté and cook slow and low:
-Clean and dice the veggies so they are pretty similar in size. Set aside,
-Cut up the stew meat into bite sized pieces. In some stores you can purchase it already cut up. I like the chuck roast meat since it’s a flavorful meat.
-In a large saucepan add the extra virgin olive oil. Heat it up a little while you’re mixing the meat (below). I set it on medium.
-In a plastic bag, place the meat, flour and any herbs you like. I like to include a teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Shake it all together so that the meat is completely coated. This may take a couple of minutes.
-With a slotted spatula or spoon, take the pieces of meat out of the plastic bag and place in the saucepan of hot oil. Save the leftover flour to use as thickener later.
-Let the meat sauté a few minutes, turning to brown it on all sides. You do not need to cook it all the way through now. It’ll cook through as you add the rest of the items.
-Add the diced onions and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent.
-Now you can add the bourbon and sweet vermouth. First pour these two liquids into a cup and then pour into the meat mixture. At this time, scrape up all and anything that is sticking to the bottom of the pan, leaving it in the pan.
-Add and stir in all the vegetables, 2 cups water, sugar and tomatoes(optional).
-In a bowl, place the leftover flour from the meat mixture and add the remaining 1 cup of water. If you have a gravy shaker, this is a good time to use it. Whisk the mixture in the bowl or shake it in the gravy mixer to get out all the lumps.
-Bring the meat mixture to a simmer and slowly pour in the flour and water mixture, stirring for a few minutes to completely combine the thickener.
-Sprinkle, beef bouillon over the top and stir in, making sure the bouillon is completely broken up.
-Add the dill and stir in.
-Let the stew cook on very low heat, checking and stirring it every 15 minutes for the first 45 minutes. It will thicken, but if you think it’s getting too thick, go ahead and add more water, a half cup at a time.
-I let the stew cook low and slow for a total of about 1 ½ - 2 hours to make sure all the veggies are done and the meat is tender.
-It’s ready to enjoy!
Garnishes:
-I love to add a little golden shredded cheddar cheese or even pepper jack cheese on top when I serve it in individual bowls – it’s a Dairy State thing.
-Some people like to place a dollop of sour cream on top.
-Buttered garlic toast is a nice accompaniment.
-A favorite dark beer is delicious with this stew.
Why not copy the French Onion Soup idea of broiled cheese on top?
Fill a small bowl three quarters of the way to the top with the stew. Float a garlic toast on top, then add a thick slice of your favorite cheese over the top of that, letting it overlap over edges of the bowl. (I like the spiciness of pepperjack cheese on top.) Place under the broiler and let the cheese get a nice golden brown. Do not leave it alone – watch it the entire time it’s under the broiler. It can brown very fast! And, it’s delicious!
Make your stew the garnish:
If you like your stew pretty thick, it’s a great garnish to scoop on top of a large dollop of mashed potatoes.
Options:
-Of course, if you like beef broth, go ahead and use it instead of water.
-Add other herbs or spices if you like.
-The tomatoes are an option since some do not care for them in stew.
-The liquor is optional. Instead, add a little water to loosen scrape those goodies off the bottom of the pan before adding other ingredients.
There are so many ways to enjoy a comfy stew whether it’s one honoring Paul Hornung or your own recipe. However you celebrate the Super Bowl or any big football game with family and friends, “Bake your own Memories!”