Little John’s Beef Stew Recipe

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be cooking up Little John’s beef stew featured in Disney’s animated feature, Robin Hood!

This recipe is featured when Robin Hood and Little John are taking a break in the woods. Unfortunately Little John leaves Robin to tend the stew, and Robin starts daydreaming, effectively burning the stew (don’t worry we won’t burn ours). Friar Tuck shows up while Little John is trying to salvage the food; he tries the stew, coughs a bit, and comments “well done, ain’t it?”

I love a good, hearty stew! I thought burning it would be in poor taste (#momjoke), so I kept an eye on it. I also feel like Little John takes pride in his cooking so I kept it simple based on ingredients they may have been able to obtain, but not so simple as to insult his enthusiasm.

BEEF STEW

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 pound of beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 cup of tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups of water
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1/4 cup of water (additional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot on medium heat.
2. Season the stew meat with a little salt and pepper, then add it to the pot and brown all sides.
3. Once browned, remove the meat and allow it to rest on a plate with its juices.
4. Add the onions, basil, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, salt, and thyme to the meat drippings within the dutch oven and sauté for about four or five minutes.
5. Add the garlic and celery, then sauté for another two to three minutes.
6. Deglaze the pan with a little water (enough to loosen up the food particles left behind from cooking the meat and aromatics) and stir, then allow everything to cook for another five minutes.
7. Add the beef (and its accumulated juices) back into the pot, along with the diced tomatoes and two cups of water.
8. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the beef is fork tender.
9. Add in the carrots and potatoes and bring the liquid back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for another thirty to forty minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
10. In a separate bowl, mix the flour into 1/4 cup of cold water and add it into the stew.
11. Continue cooking and stirring the pot until the sauce has thickened (about 10 more minutes).
12. Serve warm and enjoy!