Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into large chunks
• ¼ cup flour
• Salt & black pepper
• 2–3 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups beef broth (or water + bouillon cubes)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 carrots, chunked
• 4 potatoes, chunked
• 2 celery stalks, sliced

How to Make It

1. Flour the beef
   Toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper.
2. Brown it first (don’t skip this)
   Brown beef in bacon drippings in a skillet. This step screams “real stew.”
3. Load the slow cooker
   Add beef to the crock. Layer in onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and celery.
4. Add liquids & seasoning
   Pour in broth, tomato paste (or ketchup), Worcestershire, bay leaf, and herbs.
5. Cook low and slow
   • LOW: 7–8 hours
   • HIGH: 4–5 hours

1960 Kitchen Wisdom

• Stew thickens naturally from the floured beef
• If it’s thin, prop the lid open the last 30 minutes
• Leftovers were expected — not optional

Nutrition Facts

• Protein: 35–40 g
  (that chuck beef does the heavy lifting)
• Buttered white bread
• Saltines or oyster crackers
• A simple iceberg lettuce salad with bottled French dressing
• Fat: 25–30 g
  (mostly from beef + bacon drippings)
• Carbohydrates: 25–30 g
  (potatoes, carrots, flour)Calories
• 450–520 calories
• Fiber: 3–5 g
• Sugar: 4–6 g (mostly from carrots & onion)
• Sodium: 700–900 mg
• (depends on broth/bouillon — 1960’s kitchens weren’t shy with salt