Homemade Stew

Last night we made this stew for dinner. I call it "Dutch Oven Stew with Meat." DELICIOUS!

Oh, and those are homemade, buttermilk biscuits, in case you're interested.

TOP THAT NIE NIE'S HUSBAND!

I adapted the recipe from Aida's Beef Stew.

Here's my fixes (which I think make it better):

Less cayenne (about 1/2 tsp)
Little more salt (to taste)
2.5 tblsp tomato paste
2 tblsp red wine vinegar  + 1/4 cup beef broth (substituted for wine)

We ditched Aida's biscuit recipe (I didn't like it) this time, and opted for the standard buttermilk biscuit recipe in Joy of Cooking, p. 790 (I think).

I adapt that too with a little more butter and always roll the dough 1 inch thick (makes only about 10 4-inch biscuits).

Also, you'll note I cooked the biscuits in the oven, rather than in the Dutch Oven on top of the stew. We tried this method the last time and found that the biscuits were too soggy, and the stew didn't cook up thick (personal preference).