Grandpa Tom's Beef Stew

I love winter because of all the great comfort foods you can make. One of my favorite meals for when it gets cold out, is beef stew. This is my grandpa's recipe, and one I haven't been able to top! It sticks to your ribs and is perfect for cold weather!! It's relatively simple to make, however does take some prep work and about 2 1/2 hours of cooking time, so plan accordingly. This stew goes great with a side of french bread. You can also choose to put it over rice, but I like mine just the way it is :)

Here's what you'll need:

2 tbsp of olive oil
2 lbs of beef chuck or stew meat
1 large onion, chopped in large pieces
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 cups of boiling water
1 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp of pepper
1-2 bay leaves
dash of all spice or ground cloves
6 carrots, cut into quarters
1 lb of small white onions (optional), chopped
6 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of cold water
1/4 cup of flour

Heat oil in a pan and then add the stew meat. Cook until browned.

Add the large onion, minced garlic, boiling water, salt, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, pepper, bay leaves, and all spice or ground cloves. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Chop and add carrots, onions, and potatoes. If too much of the liquid evaporated while simmering, you should add more boiling water, just so it reaches the top of the vegetables. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix cold water and flour in a separate container, making sure it's completely incorporated and that there are no chunks of flour left; you do not want weird chunks in your stew!! This is the step that thickens it up. Stir into the stew and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!