The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
Every Nation Has It's Favorite
 Beef Stews

Opeu d udttOHdl ctcW di ltS UWus IHeIe are Syrian, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Irish, Polish, French, Hungarian stews and many others. In our own country we have adopted many of these, to- gether with others such as Brunswick, Virginia and California stews. We have stews with dumplings, or without, with vegetables or without, and with one or more kinds of meat.
 Ii is real economy to select the lower priced cuts of beef for stew. Such cuts include brisket, plate, neck, round trump aud shank. The, stew is improved in ttavor if the meat has some bone with it. For those who prefer such cuts, the short ribs or brisket are very good Allow about one-half pound of meat for each serving. Leftover meat from s,eaks, roasts or pot roasts may be added to the fresh meat. Directions for making a stew vary somewhat, depend Hg upon personal taste and the yege- tables served with it, but in general the following rules will insure suc- cess:
 Wipe the meat with a damp cloth and cut it into pieces of size suitable for serving-abOut two-inch pieces. Melt two tablespoons of fat, pork, bacon, suet or drippings ill a stewing kettle. Brown in this one small onion chopped fine. Add the pieces of meat, first lightly dredged in flour, and scar on all sides. Some prefer to brown only half of the meat. Add one pint of hot water, cover the kettle, reduce the heat to a low flame and allow the stew to simmer for two or three hours, or un- til the meat is tender. If necessary, add more water while cooking. Thirty minutes before the meat has finished cooking add vegetables cut into attrac- tive size pieces for serving.
 An almost infinite variety and com bination of vegetables can be used to add color and attractiveness to the stew. There are those who prefer only the popular potato; others add onion, turnip, parsnip, carrot, rutabaga and cabbage. For flavor, tomato juice is used as part of the liquid. Other sea- sonings sometimes added include bay leaf, cloves, chopped peppers, chopped parsley, chopped celery or celery salt and tomato catsup.
 A proportion of meat and vegetables which always seems to please takes:
 Two pounds of beef, with some bone and fat.
 One medium turnip.
 Two carrots.
 Two small onions.
 One-haf pepper chopped.
 Six medium white potatoes.
 If dark brown stew is desired, the vegetables may be Drowned in drip pings before being cooked with the meat.
 Good gravy is always essential to a successfully made stew. It should be smooth, thin to medium thick and of uniform consistency.
 Rules For a Gravy
 If the liquid on the meat has cooked down, remove the pieces of meat and pieces of vegetables from the kettle Arrange attractively in a deep platter already warmed. Pour off any excess fat in the kettle, leaving two to three tablespoons of fat. Brown the fat if not already brown enough, add two level tablespoons of flour, stir to a paste and add two cups of water or preferably stock.- Continue to stir un- til the gravy is smooth and thickened. If flour was used to dredge the meat when it was first scared, less flour should be added to make the gravy. Season the gravy with salt and pepper and pour it over the meat and yege- tables. Serve at once. If there is liquid left in the kettle, the gravy is Best made by thickening with the flour first worked into a paste with cold water, and then stirred into the hot liquid.
 If damplings are to be served with the stew, prepare the gravy, then add meat and vegetables to it, and lastly, drop in the dumplings, which have been prepared as follows: Sift together 2 cups of flour. 3 teaspoons of baking powder and F teaspoon of salt. Add milk eneough to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls into the hot stew, being coreful to see that each dump ling rests on piece of meat or vege- table. Cover tightly and steam the dumplings for 12 to 14 minutes.
 Arrange the meat in the center of a deep platter and surround with the vegetables and dumplings. Serve hot at once.