Quick and Easy Beef Stew

QUICK AND EASY BEEF STEW
(contributed by Ted Knight, served at 2003 Advancement Camp)

This recipe is quick and easy and has provided a filling one-dish meal at many Knight hunting camps and at various Scout camping trips. Besides the great taste, the best thing is you only have to clean one Dutch oven or pan (I prefer Dutch ovens) and a minimal number of utensils!

You can make this as beef stew, or venison stew, or just about any other stew you want it to be.

Generally figure ¼ lb. of meat per person and then add the rest!

Directions/Ingredients:

cut up meat in ½ inch squares
chop/dice an onion or two
chop some carrots and/or potatoes (depending if you are using rice/barley as they are starch too)
add a little oil to the pan or Dutch oven
brown with chopped onion - celery salt, garlic and pepper make wonderful seasonings to add during the browning - cover pan or oven during browning
spoon off grease
add a can or two of tomatoes - I prefer crushed or stewed - and heat until boiling begins
add ½ box of barley - the barley will require about 20 minutes to cook and soften - it will also absorb excess fluid in the stew - for variety you can substitute rice for barley with the same effect
after about 15 minutes add carrots (potatoes if you don't use rice or barley) other canned veggies, corn, different types of beans, whatever you like
put Dutch oven or pot back on fire until lid gets hot
pull off and let "perk" away from the heat for about 20 minutes.

Get a big bowl, a huge spoon, some bread or biscuits and DIG IN!!!!!! A mug of coffee sure washes it all down well!