Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound beef or pork stew meat
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable juice cocktail
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 2 1/4 cups cubed, peeled potatoes
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery

Instructions

1. Place flour in a plastic bag. Add meat cubes, a few at a time, shaking to coat. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil. Return meat to saucepan. Add juice cocktail, onion, bouillon granules, garlic, basil, and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 to 1 1/4 hours for beef (30 minutes for pork) or till meat is nearly tender. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover; simmer 30 minutes more. Skim fat.
2. Crockery-cooker directions: Prepare and brown meat as above. In the bottom of a 3 1/2- or 4-quart electric crockery cooker layer onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Sprinkle with bouillon granules, garlic, basil, and thyme; add meat. Pour 2 1/2 cups vegetable juice cocktail over meat. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or till meat and vegetables are tender.