Salt Beef Stew

Salt beef is a type of beef that is eaten in Newfoundland. Some of you may have heard of jigs dinner, its the beef that's used in that. I grew up eating salt beef almost every weekend. I love everything about it. I don't eat it as often as I did when I was a kid but when I do eat it, I eat a lot. I used it in stew this time instead of a jigs dinner. It was so yummy and flavourful. I made it with doughboys. Doughboys as kind of like dumplings. Oh man doughboys are so comforting. I have not been able to figure out how to make them as good as my moms but mine aren't bad. When they are cooked in this stew they are different than when they are steamed on top of a jigs dinner. Either way I love them and so does all of my kids!

Salt Beef Stew

Makes 14 cups of stew

For the stew

12 oz of beef cut into bite sized cubes ( I used a blade roast)

1 lb salt beef, cut into bite sized  cubes

16 cups cold water

5 cups rutabaga, cut into bite sized cubes

6 carrots, or 3 cups of carrots, sliced into bite sized pieces

4 cups potato, cut into bite sized cubes

1/2 tsp gravy browning

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place a large roaster on the stove over high heat. Add all the ingredients except for the gravy browning.

 

Here's what the salt beef looks like

Bring to a boil. Cover. Put in the oven for 2 hours. Take it out of the oven and place back on the stove over medium heat. Add the gravy browning.

For the Thickening

1 cup all purpose flour

1.5 cups of cold water

Mix in a bottle for making protein shakes or whisk in a bowl until there are no lumps.

For the Doughboys- makes 9-10

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup margarine or butter

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk or lukewarm water

Mix everything in a bowl with your hands. The dough should not be really sticky. If it is dust a bit more flour over top and knead until it stops sticking to your hands.

It should look like this.

Take the roaster off the heat and mix in the thickening. Put the roaster back over the heat. Pull the dough for the doughboys apart. You will 9-10 pieces. Roll gently into a bowl in your palm, until you have rolled all of them. Quickly place them all into the stew, don't push them down.

 

Here's the stew before the doughboys are steamed

 

Put a tight fitting lid over top and steam for 15 minutes. Take one out and cut it in half with a knife, it should be fluffy inside. If it's not but it back in for a few more minutes.

Serve the stew with the doughboys, Add pepper if you like.