Tender Beef and Noodles for Two

 
I picked up a small package of stew beef at the grocery store the other day because I had in mind to make myself a pot of stew. We've  had some really nasty weather recently and I was really craving comfort food.
There is nothing quite like a nice bowl of beef stew on a cold winter's day for bringing comfort into your life.
 
There no shortage of stew recipes here on the blog. It is a real family favorite.  Stew with Dumplings is a real winner.  This is a recipe sized for two.
This Oven Braised Stew is also really enjoyed from time to time.  We are also no strangers to delicious Lamb Stew.  Stew has been bringing comfort and sustenance to my home for many, many years.
 
Like I said, I had in mind to make a nice stew with the beef, but then I spied this recipe on TOH for Tender Beef and Noodles for Two.  It looked really appealing.
I decided to go with it. I had everything in the house, including the egg noodles.  I didn't want to dig out my slow cooker however, so I adapted the recipe to cook it in my cast iron Dutch oven on top of the stove.  It was delicious!! 
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TENDER BEEF AND NOODLES FOR TWO
Very simple ingredients. I am sure you probably have everything in your home to make this delicious entrée today!  It looks like a long list of ingredients, but trust me when I tell you they are very simple things, and not a lot is needed of any one thing.

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) lean boneless stewing beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp canola oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup (240ml) water divided
• 1/3 cup (80g) tomato ketchup
• 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 cup (90g) uncooked egg noodles
• 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour

 
Small amounts of a variety of ingredients combine deliciously to make a fabulously tasty gravy.  It almost has a hint of BBQ, but at the same time is completely different than BBQ.
Its rich and sweet and tangy, all at the same time.  Plus the dry mustard powder gives it a tiny bit of heat, which is most pleasant.
 
HOW TO MAKE TENDER BEEF AND NOODLES FOR TWO
Like I said, the original recipe was meant to be cooked in the slow cooker.   That process would have taken five hours however, and I just didn't want to wait five hours!
And so I adapted the instructions, etc. in order to cook it in a pot on top of the stove.  The main difference was the amount of liquid, and the flour used to thicken it at the end.  
 
Cooking this in the slow cooker would produce much more liquid and so you would naturally need more flour at the end to thicken the gravy.    I basically cut the amount of flour in half as I did not have as many juices and didn't need the same amount of flour to thicken what I have.
In fact, I thought the gravy was a bit too thick with what I used and so I thinned it out a bit with boiling water. Judge accordingly.  You know how thick or thin you like your gravy.  
 
Have ready a small flame proof Dutch oven. Prepare your meat and onions. 

Heat the oil in the Dutch oven until hot. Add the beef and onions. Brown all over in the hot oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

 
Add half of the water, along with the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and dry mustard.  Give it a good stir, bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. 

Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is falling apart and very tender.  Check periodically to make sure it is not boiling dry. You can add a bit more water if it seems low. 

 
Whisk the flour together with the remaining water until smooth.  Whisk into the meat, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens.  Simmer over low heat while you cook the noodles.
Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
 
Cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain well.   

Serve the noodles, buttered if desired, with half of the meat mixture spooned over top and a vegetable or salad on the side.

 
This was really good. I happened to have egg noodles on hand, but I think it would be good served with any kind of pasta.
Bow ties, fusilli, fettuccini, corkscrew pasta, even macaroni would be nice with this. 
 
 
Of course, if you are not a fan of pasta or noodles, you could also serve this tender meat in gravy with  mounds of buttery fluffy mashed potatoes, or even rice. 
At the end of the day its all about what brings you personal joy. I like pasta myself and I especially love noodles, but this would be delicious no matter what carb you choose to serve it with!  You just want something which is going to cradle that delicious meat and sauce. 
I had some brussels sprouts which needed using up and so that is the vegetable I chose to serve on the side, but in truth any vegetable would go well.  Enjoy!! 
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Beef and Noodles for Two

Yield: 2Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 15 MTender pieces of beef in a delicious gravy spooned over egg noodles. This makes for a fabulously tasty supper for two with a vegetable or a salad on the side.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) lean boneless stewing beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp canola oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup (240ml) water divided
• 1/3 cup (80g) tomato ketchup
• 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 cup (90g) uncooked egg noodles
• 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Have ready a small flame proof Dutch oven. Prepare your meat and onions.
2. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven until hot. Add the beef and onions. Brown all over in the hot oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Add half of the water, along with the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and dry mustard. Give it a good stir, bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
4. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is falling apart and very tender. Check periodically to make sure it is not boiling dry. You can add a bit more water if it seems low.
5. Whisk the flour together with the remaining water until smooth. Whisk into the meat, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. Simmer over low heat while you cook the noodles.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
7. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain well.
8. Serve the noodles, buttered if desired, with half of the meat mixture spooned over top and a vegetable or salad on the side.

Notes:

Optionally this can be cooked in the slow cooker. Brown the meat and onions as above, then put together with the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. Increase the flour to 3 TBS and whisk together with the water. Whisk into the meat mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for a further 30 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

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